Intermission
a creative coffee break from writing the play

Today I wrote one complete sentence. Too easily the birds outside my writer’s room distracted me. I was glad to see them, because they haven’t been around much this week, causing a lot of worries in my home.

The first visitor, that drew my attention away from the keyboard, was a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. It appeared long enough, clinging to the drainpipe outside my window, for me to identify it. No joke. Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers are real birds (that’s for you non-birders). I’d never seen one before, and I needed my Sibley’s for help. Inspired by the one bird, I picked up my binoculars, sat back in my chair, and watched for what else might be perching nearby. Pleasantly rewarded with many familiar feathers, I watched for a very long time. The birds, usually daily visitors to our backyard feeders, haven’t been visiting much this week, despite the tempting new treats we’ve been leaving for them. We’ve been very perplexed and sad about their absence.

With a great flourish, the birds left, and I understood why when, in a neighboring tree, I saw the hawk watching the feeders below. We will have to remove our feeders for a few days, in hopes of helping
the hawk to move on. As magnificent as the hawk is we don’t intend to provide an easy, one-stop swoop for prey. If I hadn’t indulged bird watching this morning, it might have been quite some time before we understood the hawk was keeping the birds away. (Yeah, come on, you know creative inspiration works like that, too.)

I spent more time watching the hawk, followed by even more time trying to get a decent photo of it. I did not succeed, as I may have mentioned before what a bad photographer I am. By the time the Beloved stepped in, ever hopeful she can make a
photographer out of me, the hawk moved on to another part of the
neighborhood.

It may have been a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. I’m not positive. From the front it looks like a Cooper’s. From the back a Sharp-Shinned.

All this bird business nourishes my spirit, and in turn, somewhat unintentionally, provides pieces of inspiration.

These last few days of 2007 are a time for me to slow down, to stop watching over my plays, yeah, like a hawk. The last couple of months, I have pushed too hard, gotten caught up in worry over readings and possible productions, and squeezed the joy and satisfaction out of my writing. I love writing too much to divest it of life.

I am at peace with my one complete sentence. It’s time to reflect on where I am, to enjoy the family time, all the holiday madness, to waste time with the birds, let go of deadlines, and enjoy what’s in front of me.