BIRD BLOG

The Gosling Five

Week 1
The geese nest near the corner of the small yard hatched five goslings yesterday at 8:09 am – The Gosling Five. It was like an awakening for all who saw the birth, a guard and a few caring prisoners. The mother goose sat the nest the whole time over 21 days through rain and wind while the father goose stayed afar, fat from heavy eating and dipping the waters. Now he has showed up and is there as the protector of the goslings, but no more than the mother goose. She did all the hard work and is just as vigilant to protect her babies.

My other Gosling Buddy eight weeks and three days old flew off with his parents the day after the Gosling Five arrived. I thought he was too young to fly.

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The goslings are six days old and way more animated than my Gosling Buddy who had no siblings to play or grow with. I don't know how they learn so quickly but they are already displaying most of the grown up goose gestures, even hissing, but they have no sound yet. Still they hiss and bob their dime sized heads. So cool and cuddly, with their heavy egg shaped bottoms sometimes tipping them back.

The Gosling Five are even showing differences in personalities, two more independent and adventurous than the other three who clings more close to their mother's wings. I turned the water facet on and watched the goslings first dip as they warmed up to the water. One gosling, I call her Sitter because she always sit down in the rush of the waters, as it fills the low places in the grasses on its way to the tiny pond. Another gosling, I call him Stay Back, likes to let the family move away a few paces and then jumps up and rushes to catch up with them. I soon saw the mother goose do a new dance I called The Stump. She stood in a low place in the grasses in a puddle and stumped her feet in place as if she was stumping grapes. I had never seen that dance before.

Week 2
 Now bigger than pigeons, today the Gosling Five became fourteen days old. It's so great I can call them from across the small yard and they come running with their parents behind them. It trips guards, free staff and other prisoners out how the Gosling Five family has accepted me. I have a calm pensive, peaceful sharing contact with both parents of the gosling five. They seem as curious about me as I about them, so we share precious space and air. We share the sun, wind and sky, we share the honor of watching over the goslings.

 Week 3
I sat out on the little hill near the tiny pond and fed the Gosling Five. I was now totally accepted by the mother and father goose. The goslings nearly eat off my boot, and their parents trust me so much they left me with the Gosling Five as they frolicked and bathed n the pool and sipped the sweet waters.

Finally the babies realized their parents were down the hill and scooted off to join them. Moments later I did my goose call and the most adventurous gosling Brave one, came running followed by its brothers and sisters. I sat there surrounded by the Gosling Five for nearly an hour. A part of a goose family enjoying Mother Earth's flow, on a slightly windy spring day.

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The Gosling Five's personalities are coming out even more. I keep giving them nicknames that I'll probably forget. The independent gosling is even more of an adventurer running to walk beside me and to ask for food on its own, or just to go off and eat grass by itself. They all have ”red-winged black bird”-size wings now.

Week 4
Tuesday the Gosling Five will be a month old and yesterday an today the two most adventurous goslings took bread from my hands with attitude. It was cool. The other three ate too, but stood back and were more shy. I fed my crow friend that I shared food with when it was a young bird before the last long race based lock down. It came down from the roof to take cake crumbs always conscious of its surroundings. The loud sea gulls he must contest with that often fill the skies have gone somewhere to nest. Looking out of the cell window this morning I saw a squirrel on this side of the razor/electric fencing. It was too far away to see what he was doing in the grass. I assumed he was eating seeds or insects.

I made a cup of coffee and came back to the window and I saw a jackrabbit circle around near the boulder tree, and under the tree I saw two young deer bouncing around. Then just outside the window, not ten feet away there was the squirrel, standing on its hind legs with its mouth full of straw. It was building a nest near the fencing inside the prison grounds. I watched him vanish into a hole some thirty or forty yards away from the cell block. A hole in the open grassy field not six yards from the lethal fence. I pondered is it safe from ground attack, from coyotes, foxes or other ground predators. Yet, the skies soars with red-tailed hawks.

 The Gosling Five came running as I ran towards them, they flapped their wings and I flapped my arms. People looked on in amazement.

Week 5
Meditation... Wow they are so big now, the Gosling Five starting their fifth week with more and more attitude and antics. I was feeding two brave goslings and one napped my finger on purpose. It didn't hurt though. So cool to have them eating grass and food from my hand as I sit next to them. This past week tiny tail and wing feathers, plus belly and back feathers are replacing the baby fur at a rapid pace. They have enough tail feathers to swash in the air now. The blue stemmed wing feathers are growing like weed and their wings are as big as pigeon wings. The goslings are the size of ducks, maybe a bit bigger.

I sat at the tiny pond and did my gosling meditation, while my gosling family played in the pond and in the currents of the water facet. The pond is a five feet circle about four to six inches deep, but it's heaven for the Gosling Five and a meeting place for the black birds, cow birds, pigeons and red-winged black birds.

I know the goslings are only one month and a couple of days old. Yet they are teenagers already and my other Gosling Buddy flew away after only two months. They are already at moments acting grown up. They are changing a lot each day. It sees like over night their wing and tail feathers have grown a couple of inches. Week five is a heavy transitional week for them. They are feeling their wings and tails. Today I flapped my arms and jumped around and the Gosling Five ran towards me.

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Today my Gosling Five family returned to the little trench in the grass where they took their first drink and waded in the water. The first or second day of their lives after weeks of drinking the yolk in the eggs. They were not bigger than chicks at the time. But today they are more than twenty times that size. When I turned the water on in the tiny trench, they had to sit on its shore and sip water and catch the bread crumbs I sent down the stream. The goslings are twice as big as a seagull, and their underbelly feathers are like their parents. Their wing stems are like blue ink fillers. It's like the grasses they eat are treated with Miracle Gro and it makes the goslings flourish. They are getting their second layer of feathers on their back, chest, tail and wings. Still there is some yellow baby fur on their heads and other parts of their bodies. I can now see the black and white colors underneath their yellow down on their heads and neck. Week six starts in a few days. The biggest and most curious of the Gosling Five makes sure he naps my finger once as I offer him food.

Week 6
Due to TB tests today, I got out of the cell late, and I went directly to check on the Gosling Five. Of course the biggest and most aggressive gosling nipped my finger before poking hard for the bread. He also has the largest head. The other goslings are more gentle when they take food from my hands. Over night another layer of feathers appeared on the birds and the blues stemmed wing feathers for flying are much larger. Today a guard who has watched the geese said in about two weeks the goslings will fly away. It's too early I said, that will only be week seven and I think they at least must be eight weeks old. That is how old my Gosling Buddy was when he flew away.

Although the Gosling Five are acting more distant now and think they are more grown up sometimes teenagers think they are grown up too soon. Sometimes the goslings, especially the finger nipper leads the family around. They have attitude changes, sometimes when I call them they barely look at me. It's sad sometimes how soon we grow up or think we do. I'm sure they will fly away in a couple or a few weeks. It doesn't matter, still they will be gone.

Week 7
The Gosling Five started their seventh week. Their wings and bellies are bigger and almost fit their bodies. The baby fur is just left on their necks and lightly on their backs. I can see the deeper colors of their black and white neck and head. They are young adults now and practice flapping their wings every chance they get. They have layers of adult feathers. The birds have no idea what is in the sky and beyond the cell blocks. Two of the goslings have huge feet, bigger than their parents. I wonder if it's like with wolf pups with big paws, does it mean the goslings will be large geese?
I did not hang out much with the Gosling Five today. I called them over to the fence beside the art room (you can see that fence on the cover of my poetry book ”Longer Ago”) and fed them. They are young adults and are acting more distant.

Week 8
Well, the Gosling Five except for a few stings of baby fur looks grown and even have big chest and neck flesh now and stroll slowly now making a statement to the other geese. I did my gosling meditation today and spent over an hour with them and listened to their roars and to the facet water. I played my flute and it soothed them. They closed their eyes and took a nap. They have all of their feathers now. I believe they can fly. All five look healthy. What a surprise the world will be looking down from the sky. When high looking down on lakes, valleys, trees and hills. I won't be able to tell them apart from the other geese soon.

Week 9
The Gosling Five are still here, and all of the baby fur is gone. They are healthy and bulky now and making adult sounds. Yet they have not flown away. Today some huge back of the cell block geese appeared on the small yard. Four young geese and their parents. They have seen more of the world, and there was another family of three that tags along with the new family. I remember seeing them through the cell window as they grew. This is one of the first times the Gosling Five had direct geese company. I fed them some bread. At first the Gosling Five were hiding on the tiny hill among plants. By noon they were out socializing and doing their geese thing. It was cool to see all the geese but not what they left behind.

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I went out on the small yard to check on my five kids and I found them huddled up in a corner with their parents. Two local bully geese had intimidated them until they saw me approach. The bully geese backed up, but not too far and tried to come back and pick on the Gosling Five as I sat there feeding the young ones. I chased the bullies away and again and again they came back acting like King and Queen geese on the yard. Again I chased the bullies away, but this time the Gosling Five family joined me and flew about twenty feet. I walked away and called to my geese family and they again flew to me. They flew to me three or four times. I didn't know I knew geese talk. Suddenly they all flew low about forty yards to the lower part of the yard. The first time I saw the Gosling Five fly!

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This morning I went to the small yard for my gosling meditation and again found my Gosling Five family stuck in the corner with the bully pair of geese not allowing them to move about. The bully geese saw me coming and took off. One bully goose came back and attacked a gosling and the gosling flew thirty or forty yards to get away. So the goslings can fly skillfully. After I chased off the bullies I started watering the grass and one gosling came near me. I turned the water hose on him and he enjoyed the shower and pruned his feathers. Soon two other goslings came over for the shower. It inspired me to go water the egg sitting mother goose in the corner of the yard. She loved it and even stood up as I showered her. She sipped the water from her feathers. I counted her eggs and two were gone. Somebody had stolen two of her eggs. It saddened my heart.

Week 10

I found my geese family on the big yard this morning, and so, I herded them towards the gates and corridor that lead back to the small yard where the Gosling Five were born and are safer. They were all a little reluctant to move today. All five look grown now and only slighter smaller than their parents. With a little help from a cool yard worker my geese family strolled through the corridor without dropping a turd on the concrete, that I would have to clean up. I went around my business and did my bar work and ran a few laps and then took some bread to the Gosling Five. They were at the top of the yard near cell block five and six. The geese took to the sky flying as if they had been doing so all of their lives and landed right in front of me and we did our geese greetings. I wondered why they allowed me to herd them through that walled and gated corridor in front of the art room, since they all are expert fliers. I squatted down on one knee and placed some bread on and near my leg and the goslings came and rubbed up against my leg as they ate. The parents always stand back and let them eat.

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Not a good day for the mother goose sitting on her eggs in the corner of the small yard. Another egg was stolen, now it has gone from seven down to four eggs. I wish the rest of the eggs will hatch quickly to avoid anymore hatred by whoever it is that stole the gosling filled eggs.

 The Gosling Five seem to have decided to stay here and partake of my company longer and continue to share space and bread.

Week 11

One of the Gosling Five was missing! I imagined it had flown away on its own. When I went to the small yard there were only four goslings left. I looked around for dead bodies or missing feathers. The Gosling Five have no more baby fur and perhaps it's a good thing he or the is gone. If I could fly I'd fly far away from this place too. Yet, I ponder did some mean humans that control the rotunda on the weekend separate the Gosling Five, one from the rest of the family? There are some hateful correctional cops around that don't like any prisoner programs or even positive interaction with what nature we prisoners can find. However I discovered a much greater tragedy, I found out that someone had gone and smashed one of the remaining eggs in the corner nest and it was not infested with maggots. The mother goose had taken off. An Indian brother had cleaned up the nest in the hope that the mother goose would return and sit on the three eggs that remained and she did. 

 Back in the cell. A fat moth is in the window sill seeking shade from the ninety degree sunlight. The moth had been there since noon.

Gosling part 4

Day 24

My gosling buddy was all wet and happy flapping its sparrow size wings, enjoying its first rain storm. The gosling tried to lick up water from the concrete side walk and the geese did their sky dance.

I hung out with my geese family in the rain for an hour or so. My little buddy now has tiny feathers on its back and wings that seemed only to have come about since last night.

Back in the cell, looking out the slit of a window at a dark cloudy rich sky, I spot two turkey vultures in the boulder field, near the boulder tree. Too far away to see if they have found food, but quickly the birds jump into the sky.

I watch the uneven grasses, yellow flowers, tiny purple flowers and wild orange poppy flowers swaying naturally, uncut by man. Uneven grasses and wild-flowers growing as they please are more real than altered rubber looking flowers controlled by man.

Week 5

Nearly all of my little buddy's yellow dark brown fur is gone. Now his wings not yet at full bloom fits its body, tail and wing feathers are coming in, in symmetry. My little buddy is five weeks and two days old and looks just like its parents, but half their size. So amazing how he or she has grown so quickly. Unfortunately, two mean yard workers chased the gosling around again today trying to separate it from the parents. I'll be happy when my little buddy can fly up and out of this prison yard where it does not belong. Hopefully, never to return. One of the mean yard workers who chased the gosling later that day got in a fist fight, and ended up with a black eye. One must strive to put love, peace, harmony, respect and realness out into the universe, for something may come back around, and never forget thoughts are one of the most powerful states in the universe.

Week 6

I went to the small yard and sat on the tiny hill and played my flute and my geese family came running with my gosling buddy leading the way. Whenever, I hit a certain note, they picked up speed and flapped their wings more. My little buddy is six weeks old now and twice as big as a seagull, I compared them today. For the second day in a row the gosling tool food from my hands.

Week 7

Today my gosling buddy seven weeks old lead the charge to run other geese off the small yard. Perhaps the aggressive behaviour is a sign of that my buddy is a male. It looks fully feathered now and has barely a golden thread of the silky baby fur left. My little buddy is testing its wings now. Its voice goes from tender gosling trills to deeper goose groans like an adult. But the groans only last a second or two. Soon its voice will change for good.

I saw little frogs in the pond for the first time, no bigger than a dime but with a larger croak. They lived inside the thin drainage pipe that seeps into the pool. It is spring and the frogs were in a loving embrace. I long for a hug myself. Back in the cell block, I see other geese families, one with six goslings, two with three goslings each, napping the grasses and weeds as heavy winds blow. The geese two-toned heads of black and white, their half white bellies and chests swirled with feathers down from the bottom of their necks to the tail feathers. The geese wings dark grey and brown in places, tinted with silver. They are Canadian geese and I wonder have any of them been to Canada, because they are in the area year round.

Week 8

My gosling buddy is now two months old and its chest is filled in now giving my buddy more balance with its backside. The little one strolls at times slow and deliberate as if making some kind of goose statement. It is still slightly smaller than its papa and mama goose. It still squeaks like a gosling with voice cracks and sounds grown up now and then. I think my buddy could fly now or soon. It did the water dance for me. Then began to flap its wings and flapped towards me as I walked away.

I adore how Mother Earth is! How the grasses grow uneven but like endless skies and stars some blades taller and some smaller. Flowers weld and multi-colored, seeds bursting forth unhindered by man manipulation. The grasses and flowers are allowed to grow up at their own pace, naturally and sweetly flowing in the winds. My gosling buddy looks like its parents. Grown up feathers now covering the fur-like down underneath. There is still baby fur, though hidden by the feathers and it sticks out like grasses in cracks of a pavement.

The little pond had not been filled all day so I turned the water on and sat there and watched my geese family come to the pond, plus cowbirds, blackbirds, pigeons, red-winged blackbirds and a couple of seagulls. All praising the waters as the pool filled up my gosling buddy all energetic dived into the pool. I squatted next to them. Both goose parents at peace with me. I began to flap my arms up and down like wings and the gosling copied me. I thought it was just a coincidence. So I did it again. I flapped my wings three or four more times and each time my gosling buddy stood high and flapped its wings too. My geese family then did the water dance, danced around me. It was so cool a splendid spring day.

Today I was blessed to see the new goslings nest in the corner of the small yard. Five fuzzy, yellowish brown Twinkie looking puff balls with legs, still wet and drying from their first sun light. Already the most adventurous one stumbles down the side of the nest.

Gosling, Part 3

Day 17

Another guard approached me today, and told me the geese family waited patiently at the gate of the rotunda to return to the small yard. The geese family know they are special here on this yard. Unfortunately though an ignorant yard worker decided he wanted to hold the gosling, so he chased it around the small yard and sought to separate it from its parents. Parents that screamed in horror with their beaks open. The gosling's security and peace, my little buddy's freedom to grow was shattered. The yard worker bird hater finally stopped harassing the bird.

At the end of my day I sat on the milk-crate outside the art room playing my flute. The geese were not in sight, but when I looked to the side and opened my eyes, I saw my little buddy and its parents, some black birds, cowbirds and a couple of seagulls and pigeons listening to me play. My day was made.

Day 18

I can see now how that constant harassment of the gosling has dampened my little buddy's adventurous spirit. I send the gosling love and respect as a fellow creature of Mother Earth, without having to touch the bird.

I watched the gosling nozzle up against it's mum, hiding its head under her wing, closing its eyes to the world, safe and warm. There is no need to snatch the gosling up from the ground, no giant human creature has any place in the geese world like that. What if a giant goose ten times as big as an elephant some two or three stories high picked a human child up in its beak and chased it around the yard separating it from the family.

Day 19

Wow! I compared my little gosling buddy to a seagull standing nearby and he is bigger than a seagull now. He roams out further on his own now, parents following him or her. Still its wings are barely nubs of wings and no feathers. My little buddy is more balanced and confident among the smaller birds. The gosling strolls in for food boldly now.

Day 20

When the gosling sees me across the yard or hear my whistle, it comes running now much closer again, after having been frightened a few days ago by the giant human. The parents stand back proudly and seems to be smiling as I feed my little buddy.

Day 21

At dusk yesterday I saw a group of ten wild turkeys, gobblers with their necks aflamed for spring. They pranced up the prison fence line. First, there was the lead turkey, some fifty paces ahead of the pack. I was in the cell, so soon the birds were out of my view. But moments later, I see one turkey running back down the fence line and then seven more, all gobblers, red with spring. Then they milled around and went on up the fence line. Still moments later two young deer appear and grazed under the boulder tree. Wing-tailed doves appear on the razor wire to watch the sunset.

This morning around 6:45 am, I saw the geese that live behind the cell blocks where there is hardly any human traffic. First two families with three goslings each appeared, all have tail and wing feathers coming in. They are much older than my little gosling buddy. Then I saw the pair of geese with six young healthy playful goslings dart by my tiny cell window. I think of my gosling buddy living inside the prison walls on the small yard. How it has no young goslings around, no family groups to hang and play with. The birds with less human movement around seem more sociable with no giant humans to bother them.

I went over and hung out with my geese family, and a mean yard worker tried to force feed the geese with seriously rotten fish. Of course the geese were scared and only tried to get away from the crazed human bent on trapping the birds in a corner and make them eat the crap.

Finally discouraged, the yard worker poured the pouch of bad fish on a rock and the black birds would not go near it. Two seagulls came by and tasted the spoiled sardines and shook their heads violently from side to side in disgust and refused to eat the garbage.

The gosling and his parents went to the tiny pond and did their water dance in circles and allowed my spirit to join them. The gosling is three weeks old today.

Day 22

This morning looking out the window right now I see a group of turkeys. For the first time hens mixed with gobblers. They were headed down the road, until a car and then a bus came by and scattered them and sent them back up the road to where they came from. There was at least ten to twenty birds. I hope they come back down the road before the morning's gone. Soon they will court and start laying and hatching eggs.

Dusk, and I never did see the turkeys come back after the prison bus and car went by them early this morning. I did make the pond for my geese family and shared a little bread. I know too much bread does not work well for them. The gosling's chest is now balancing out and it's not as bottom heavy anymore, even it's wings has grown a little, but still featherless and wings the size as sparrows, on a bird bigger than a seagull.

Day 23

Today I finally saw little wing and tail feathers coming on my little buddy. It had to come really close for me to see them. The gosling can even shake it's tail feathers a little now though it's tiny like hairs.

Back in the cell I hope to see some turkeys today or other birds outside the window. I'll do weekly blogs on my geese family now instead of daily.

I just saw four gobblers dressed in their spring red dart pass the now naked boulder field tree. I wonder how long before the leaves come back. The wind has picked up, it will rain early morning into tomorrow. The first rains for my gosling buddy.

Gosling, Part Two

Day 9

This morning I went to work and sitting in front of art room I look out on the small yard for my geese family. I could not see them so I went out on the small yard to check for the birds, still they were nowhere in sight. So, I asked the native American brother had he seen them. He told me the birds had gone to the big yard, which is more dangerous for the gosling. Where the people traffic is heavy and some bird hating yard crew will constantly chase and harass them. I saw the geese across the big yard in a corner. It is crowded with prisoners and guards circling the yard. I watched the geese cross the grass field and beyond the track to where the laundry room where there was the least amount of movement. I went out on the yard and my geese family came towards me a bit nervous, it was their first time on the big yard with their gosling. I offered them food in silence. We began to walk towards the small rotunda gates that led back to the small yard that hardly has any movement, where the gosling was born. I walked slowly with them and they seem to know I cared.

An officer who also cared had the rotunda gate opened and I herded and motioned the birds onto the concrete floor of the rotunda between the hospital, computer lab, art room and maintenance room.

Prisoners and officers watched me and some said the geese would never go through the gates and rotunda. As their mouths dropped in amazement, I walked my geese family through the hall.

One correction cop said to the others; them prisoners have yoga and now they are walking geese through the rotunda. I told the cop no need to be so hard, life is beautiful.

Day 12

The gosling and its parents migrate through the gates each night now, back to the big yard where all the action's at, and where the baby could get hurt. But, each morning I have managed to get out of the cell early and get the geese family back over to the small yard. I hope they don't keep making me do that. I hope they will realize that if harm comes their way, the gosling cannot fly and it will be months before it can. I'll probably be transferred by then and making friends with new birds, ravens, sparrows, black birds and crows. Just a moment ago a young prisoner came over to me and asked; how did the gosling get over here? I mean I think he thought the seemingly wingless gosling twelve days old was able to fly over the razor and electric wire and big walls to get over here on the small yard. I started to make up a story about magic and stuff. I can be an inventive story teller, but then I told him it had hatched on the small yard and won't fly for months.

The gosling has more than doubled its size and is a fluffy yellowish golden brown. It no longer allows the pigeons to take its food. He nips them in their feathers and circles them away.

Day 13

The gosling will be two weeks old tomorrow and it is now as big as a rock dove. I did my baby geese call and the family came running and gave them a snack. The gosling comes all the way up to me like a cow bird and its parents has no objections. People walk by and trip out and comment on how amazingly close they allow me to be to the gosling. We share spirits - - so it's all good.

Day 14

The gosling turned two weeks old today and again for the 4^th or 5^th day in a row, I had to escort them from the big crowded yard back to the small yard. Still the baby don't have any feathers and the yellowish, golden fur has robust dark chocolate tint in some places. Its tiny nubs of wings have gotten a little bigger and finally, are the shape of wings. Wings too tiny for its round chubby little body. The gosling now is way more coordinated and wobbles about more confident.

Day 15

After five days of going out each morning and inspiring my goose family to go back to the small yard; today before I came out the goose family had gone to the gate on their own and and a cool officer opened both gates to the small yard.

Day 16

The gosling he or she is now 16 days old and almost seagull size. I fed my little buddy today as it ventured a little further away from its parents. The parents even turn their backs as I feed the young one. From now on most of the time I'll refer to the gosling as my little buddy. I cannot tell whether it's a boy or a girl yet.

The way I can tell grown goose males from females is she usually sits on the nest while the male stands guard.

The new gosling, Part 1

Jan 2013

One of the nesting pair of geese eggs on the small yard finally hatched despite the constant harassment from a few yard workers. The gosling came into the world last Saturday and is now a week old and already her or his parents have brought it up to the art room fence to meet me and I've shared tiny bits of bread with the young bird, who is is already copying its father and mother chasing greeting pigeons off. It's funny to see him or her wobble around, flapping its tiny nobs of wings covered in yellow like cotton down, no feathers yet. It is already bigger than the cow birds and black birds. There were more eggs but I imagine the geese, particularly the mama goose was so agitated by the constant harassment of the yard workers and also there was missing eggs that they decided to take the one hatching from the nest and stay moving. By next Saturday the gosling will have doubled in size. What a splendid sight.

Dusk

I just happened to look out of the tiny window and the pair of geese with their one gosling. It was beautiful. It made me ponder the goose still sitting on six eggs on the small yard. Soon their eggs will be ready to hatch. It's a light rain outside, near dusk and I am wondering where are they going? Even their baby seemed to know. It looks three or four weeks old and its parents had the gosling between them as they walked.

Deer

This morning looking out of the window I saw a total of 13 deer. I have never seen so many deer before in my life in person, even though through a thick plastic window. I hear my neighbours speaking about the deer as well and tapping on their window.

Now dusk, almost dark and on the ridge I count 10 deer, a high total again. The grasses must be the juiciest and sweet now across the road from the prison.

Gosling week two

The gosling is a week old now and taking little chunks of bread and shaking it around aggressively as he spurs with the always hungry pigeons. I can see its tiny head watching its parents learning and making sure it's ok to approach the big human flicking bread only a foot away.

I am feeling a bit of a cold or flu today. Yet, I must go check on my bird friends, perhaps do some walking or light jogging. I am looking forward to seeing the goslings today and see what it and I will learn from her new life. Each day she dances is a blessing I am sure. The sun, the moon and Earth Mother smiles. The universe smiles.

I also must go to make sure the bird haters know I am around and that Mother Earth knows your true heart, your true motives.

Still week

Again I made a tiny pond for the gosling and they all did Mythical Goose Water Dance. They celebrate the water because until the gosling is months and months old it would not see any water. The baby is pruning its soft hairs as if he or she had feathers, wings and a tail. Two other pairs of geese have come to the small yard strutting and courting around like they plan to nest.

Fall from the window

Oct 22

It started raining early this morning, nothing heavy just light to medium showers. The wind is blowing heavy though, through the boulder tree. Who is exited about the rain. Wet out of the window. First rains of the season. Yesterday I saw twenty wild ring-tailed doves forging in the brown grasses and chopped off weeds. The true doves never come inside the prison like the pigeons. I think the doves know the pain of prisons more than the pigeons, and the true doves want to share love.

I haven't seen any birds or other creatures moving about in the rains yet. I did my exercise and made my coffee and now I sit and gaze out the tiny window at the tree until work time at art room.

Bird Stuff in August

August 16

Good morning to no one in particular. I just saw the mama turkeys with the twelve young between them scoot across the dirt road from the squirrel grass, to the boulder field. The first time I saw them on their way to the feeding grounds in the morning where they stay all day over the ridge. They are more careful in the mornings due to all the cars and trucks, the human traffic going to and fro.

August 15

The mother turkey with the one baby is walking up the road. Moments ago I saw the two mother turkeys with twelve babies between them bouncing across the boulder field and dirt road to the one tree in the tall grasses, where the ground squirrel live. They have about four boulders under and around the tree where the squirrels post up to survey their field and homes. The mother turkey with one baby is taking the hidden route in the tall grasses to the turkey roost somewhere up the road out of my view.

August 14

I have not seen any turkeys in over a week and I wonder where they are. Perhaps, as the baby turkeys have gotten older, they have moved on to other feeding grounds. Maybe as summer progress the diet changes and their food source migrates to other areas.

The turkeys seems to treasure walking more than flying. If I was a turkey or a bird of any kind I think I'd be an explorer like Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. Perhaps flying higher and higher reaching other dimensions in time and space. Other dimensions in love, spirit and heart. It's good to see things from other points of view.

The sky, the land, looking up and down,

it's good to walk and fly,

to sit and die,

to grow and glow

and be

over and over again.

Good morning tree in the field and my bird friends where ever you are.

Aug 12

Looking out the window near 4:10 pm at the top of the razor wire fences I count twelve doves, true doves I call them. The even number must mean they are mated, or a group of young teenagers, like the sparrows that sometimes show up just before dusk and dart back and forth from the fences to the pale grounds and dead moss-like grasses. Sometimes there are over fifty young sparrows, summer sparrows who have left the nest and their parents. The true doves are still there, thinking, picking and pruning themselves. They must be bathing in the sun or just sun worshipping. Actually, new count there are thirteen doves, and a bee or small wasp buzzing the thin thick plastic window I am looking out of. The tree in the field looks placid. It has been close to two hours now and the doves are still sitting peaceably on top of the razor wire in 90 degrees heat. Yes, they must be bathing their feathers in the sun.

Aug 7

At the bottom of the inner razor wire fence, I count eleven true doves. The most I've seen this summer in one spot. Some doves move up atop of the razor wire, how delicate their footfalls must be. It is dusk and three female turkeys pass going up the road and not that far behind, some ten minutes later, male turkeys follow, along the turkey path. The days and sun are long and more birds arrive, three red-breasted finches and rock doves or regular pigeons. I recount as six more finches arrives and there is now twelve true doves, all eating in peace.

August 6

Early morning, and I saw a crow fly into the tree and disappear in the crown. The only tree left in the squirrel field. I wanted to see how long it stays in the tree. There are small birds there and probably some nests. A few of the small birds flew out immediately. I never saw the crow come back out. I know the crows have tricks and some know magic. I stopped looking at the tree for a while, but then a sea gull appeared from the tall grass just behind the tree. Something is going on. I looked out at dusk, as the sun hung low in the sky and I saw the two mama turkeys and their eleven babies between them, walking up the road near the razor wire topped fence to their turkey roost. So good to see them this close, and they are growing. I wonder where the mother turkey is with one baby. Sometimes she trails the big family of turkeys.

August 5

It has been over a week since I saw the two mama turkeys and their caravan of babies in a stream between them, walking, running and bouncing up the road back to where ever it is the turkeys go. I can see no further up the road.

This morning looking at the tree in the boulder field, I saw a mama turkey in the shade newt to one of the squirrel look out boulders. She must have done some kind of call, because a fat little baby turkey flew down from the tree.

I waited, and watched them cross the dirt road to the tallest grass in the field, where there is a ridge and slope and distant trees, a place where all the turkeys go. I watch the toms and female turkeys over there where they feed at dawn and come home at dusk.

Right outside the window a pair of true ring tailed doves forge for food. Good morning doves!

Bird Stuff Suite in July

Turkeys

It's warm and windy out. The tall blondish brown grass is swaying on the other side of the razor and electric fences. The grasses, dancing to Mother Earth's song. A few blackbirds and cowbirds just outside the window. Looking out I saw the mother turkey and beside her the baby turkey I had seen weeks ago. It is about four or five times bigger. They cross the dirt road to the boulder field, where in the distance the hills fall into a drop, some kind of valley and more sky. It was so great to see the baby turkey is still striving and growing.

I don't know which side of the dirt road and fields the mother turkey and its baby lives on. I never see them walking up the road at late dusk near the fences like grown gobblers and turkeys without babies. I imagine they travel under the cover of tall grasses, there must be a route through the grasses and tiny hills.

Wait! Wow, amazing, moments ago I spoke about not seeing any mother turkeys and their young walking up the road towards where I imagine the turkey trek, looking out the window I see two mother turkeys walking up the road with about twelve chicks! I guess the young are quick and strong enough to bring out in the open now.

Early

The next day, after the rains I got up early and watched the grass outside my window to see if the brown grass had greened any since the night rains.

The sky over the fields, by the tree and small hills are filled again with swallows darting about. A true dove is back on the razor wire. The squirrel is in the shade under the tree on his second look out boulder, where weeks ago I saw the turkey hen hanging out with her baby. I don't know what you call a baby turkey. I wonder what the squirrel is watching.

Maybe there wasn't enough rain, enough wet for the fields of wild grass to turn green. I'll await the true dove and watch the dusk from the window.

Lime yellow canary

I waited at dusk again looking out of the thin thick window hoping to see the new geese family. The turkeys pass on their way home from the feeding fields. The gobblers follow the hens. The males hang out in groups of threes. Their legs are like long popsickle sticks. I wait and again the true wing-tail dove appear atop of the razor wire, only four feet up from the lethal electric fence.

I put a window cover in, but something keeps making noise and I take the covers out of the window and see a tiny lime yellow-green canary staring and fluttering up and down the window. We stared at eachother a few moments before it flew away.

Smile

A new day and the bushy tailed ground squirrel is standing tall on one of his look-out boulders near the shaggy evergreen tree. I was so blessed yesterday to see two wild mother turkeys taking a rambunctious group of baby turkeys up the road to the turkey tree. First time I ever saw that. It made my day. I suppose my day isn't hard to make. A smile can do that too.

Peace and realness

Bird feast

I see now what countless swarms of insects the swallows, starlings, cow birds, red winged blackbirds, crows, kill deer and some other kind of birds I don't know the name of, that spread their wings like a cape or umbrella to shade the ground as they catch something to eat.

I don't think the true ring-tailed doves or pigeons were eating the tiny insects. They are on the cell window right now. They hop and fly like tiny grasshoppers. They definitely have been the feast the swallows and other birds filled their bellies with. There must be tons of them, for more than ten days the birds have been feasting and yet at dusk today, I still see the insects boldly all over the window sill, darting about in the sunsetting sky and I think the birds must be sated or burnt out for the moment.

Bird Stuff

May

Middle of spring and dark clouds fill the sky. I am watching new birds darting about the fields and small hills, diving into the tall wild grass. There are hundreds of them diving and dipping in a frenzy. They look like some kind of swallows.

About 70 yards away I watch a squirrel hanging out on his favorite look out boulder on the far side of some kind of thick evergreen tree.

Cow birds, blackbirds, killdeer, true wing-tail doves, starlings and birds I don't know the name of are hanging out too. There must be some sweet tasting insects swarming in the fields.

A turkey vulture lands on one of the boulders across from the squirrel who gazes undisturbed. The turkey vulture soar about playing some kind of tag. I didn't know they were so playful.

Wild turkeys walk back up the road to some turkey tree. Now the clouds are raining and I hope it greens the brown wild grass and make more wild flowers. A crow came by plucking something small from the grasses. I'll watch the rain and hope it sweetens the grasses for my fellow creatures.

The SPCA came inside and removed all the geese months ago. But I got lucky today and saw a pair of geese stroll by the window with four goslings. They must have been nesting at the time of the removal.

It's raining heavy now at dusk and two true doves sits on the razor wire and watch the dusk and enjoy their shower.

Baby turkey

May

Right as I'm watching yellow tiny wild flowers, and across the electric fence under a thick tree I watch a mother turkey and her one tiny hen who keep darting about the tall grasses all around. I had watched the mother hen yesterday and wondered why she hung out under the tree and in the tall grasses, and at dusk I saw the reason. At first I thought “what is that rat or big mouse doing following that turkey”, but then I gazed longer and saw it was one tiny baby turkey. I don’t know what you call a baby turkey? I don't think you call it a chick. The wild grass is flowing sweetly outside the window, like love and realness in my heart!

Continue the realness struggles

Bird Stuff 

March 25

I had a blessing today, I was able to see a pair of geese just outside through the tiny unpainted space in the window. Out of the hundreds of cells, they stopped across from this one. Our souls said hello. A few weeks ago they started to capture the geese and took them out of the prison. Some must know their way back.

Bird Stuff

Feb 23

I went down to medical shackled down like a slave this morning, but my heart smiled when I saw the pigeons at the drainage pipe building their nest. Spring fever is already here and I've been locked down all winter. It is the same pair of pigeons who tried to nest in the pipe last spring and was prevented by the bird hater. The main bird hater. He has been transferred so perhaps the nest will work this year. I wish I could watch them as they build the nest and bring new life into the world. I am with you rock doves. May Mother Earth bless you.

Bird Stuff

January 2012

I'm in another cell, on the upper tier and we are still on lockdown going on two months now. This cell has a better tiny clear pitch in the thin window, where I can see outside. I saw my geese family today with two new goslings. I know by the male goose's walk it was them, and by his behaviour. He walked proud and was often really territorial. One of his toes on his left web foot had been separated in a fight with another goose. The first fight I saw him loose. I had not seen such goslings in two or three years, because of the bird haters. The babies must be only a week or so old. The bird haters have kept my goose family from nesting inside the walls. So this morning I smiled.

Pure White

November 27

Among my Rock Dove friends today, there was a new bird. A pure white one, seemingly too big to be a regular pigeon. I was told because the bird is white, it only seems bigger. Its pinkish feet had bands on them. It must have been raised in someone's home, and just passing by on his journey. He will probably be here only only a few days. He comes down to eat with the other birds, but when he rest on cell block eight, he sits alone. 

(written Oct 28) 

New Friend

Nov 3

I made a new friend today, she is glistering black like bright coal with equally dark eyes that flutter when I toss her bread, lunch meat or cookies.

My new friend is a crow, a fresh face to my bird family. I think it is a she, the same way I think the creator, if there is one, must be a she. Sometimes a rock dove chases her away from the food, even though the crow's beak is six times bigger than a pigeon's.

She is not yet full grown, her sibling is much bigger, but not braver. I remember when a parent crow brought the yellow trim mouthed baby crows by often to feed them this past spring.

Now they come down from cell block seven and eight to feed and explore by themselves. I have tried to spoil the teenage crow with meat, sometimes when I toss her bread she kicks it over to the pigeons. But the meat she pins to the ground with one foot and eats.

New friend Day II Hanging out

Nov 4

Today while I was doing back arms on the dip bar, my crow friend flew over to the pull up bar across from me and watched and did different honks and head bobbing antics to get my attention. I go over to the pull up bar, she then flies over to the dip bar to watch. It feels nice just to hang out.

I now see my friend every day, and I thought about giving her a name. But why, we don't need names to be friends or just to hang out.

I sometimes see her with a group of other crows floating soaring and hanging out atop of cell blocks seven and eight. A group, a murder of crows, a flock of geese. What do you call a family or group of sparrows or blackbirds?

I see the young crow in other places on the big and small yard. She loves hanging out with pigeons and the only crow. She is the size of a pigeon, maybe a tad bigger, but most folks don't even see there is a crow among the group of rock doves. She is a dark beautiful blessing.

Bowleg

September 9

She was the smallest of the goslings I helped raise about two summers ago. She had problems getting around, and often her tiny legs looked like they were about to fold and break. She instinctively came the closest to me when I fed them through the fence, at the side of the art room. 

She knew too she needed the most care, because her brother and sister were more strong. The parent geese somehow knew I always had Bowleg’s best interest at heart. The mother goose stayed back with Bowleg while the siblings and father goose took to the skies. The mother goose stayed back on the small yard until Bowleg was strong enough to join them in the sky.

Today I saw Bowleg for the last time. She was grown but small and weak and she was on the big yard full of prisoners and no other geese around. It was not natural for her to be alone like that. She staggered about as if she had been drugged or was super drunk. One of her feet was bloody and her eyes had the soon-to-be-dead look. She saw me and came up to me like a puppy to get the bread I had, but death and sickness was taking it’s toll. It has been more than a month now and I hope she died in a peaceful place. I hope she died like she lived full of hope.

Beating Hearts

August

At dusk, I sat in Jim’s graphic arts class, drawing at the desk closest to the open door. I was drawing and jiving, having light conversation, and bantering back and forth with Jim, and the other art students, when I felt some air and ducked slightly as a speck of feathers darted around my head. It was a sparrow, it circled my head inside the classroom, and suddenly flew back outside and hid in a wrinkle of fencing, between a vertical steel pole and a long metal band at the top of the iron gate. The sparrow was not much bigger than my thumb. It stayed clung to that tiny space between the pole and fencing for more than fifteen minutes. I felt her fear, she was out of breath, and I knew something had been chasing her. I went back inside class, but checked on the sparrow every two or three minutes until she was gone. I am sure a sparrowhawk had chased her and caused the bird to dip into the open classroom door, navigating through all the gates and fencing feeling safer with me than the hawk.

Fallen Baby Sparrow

July

A baby sparrow, still without feathers fell from the metal roof onto the netting under the prison store. I don’t know how it happened, but a part of its naked body hung through the netting. Its mum was right there rubbing her beak against her baby, trying to inspire him to stay alive. Four people stood there watching the mama sparrow , and you could see the love in her eyes and behaviour. Four humans stood there not three feet away. She refused to leave her baby and continued to comfort it. The sun was over 100 degrees, and probably hotter where the nest was. How can anyone say that even a sparrow doesn’t have feelings? If you saw how its mother tried to comfort the infant, you would never doubt it.

A sergeant warden was there and we discussed how to help the birds. We contacted the maintenance crew and worker, another prisoner, along with his free staff boss. They brought over a ladder and we put the young sparrow back where the nest use to be.The mother sparrow returned five minutes after we put the baby back. It had an insect in its beak. I don’t know, if the baby, stayed in the nest this time or fell back onto the netting and died. I’ll find out tomorrow. Yes, we used gloves to place the young sparrow back in its nest.

Fallen Baby Sparrow, next day

July

I went back to the prison store, to check on the baby sparrow, and again, its body hung from the netting, almost in the same spot as yesterday. But, only its tiny swollen naked wings kept it from falling to the ground. Only yesterday, we had put it back into its nest. When I left its mum had a mouth full of worms. Worms her baby will never need now. The young sparrow has a small marble-sized hole in its belly already. I am sure it has gone to some bird heaven in the sky, where birds not killed, go to die. Perhaps, its spirit has gone to some heaven, where all spirits of babies of any kind go – human or not..

The Abandoned Pigeon Eggs

July

Today, after the pigeon eggs have been inside the drainage pipe, a foot and a half high on the wall, a native American, took the eggs from the pipe, and said he was going to do something with the abandoned Rock Dove eggs, eggs that had been unattanded for over two months. I don’t remember what the native American told me he was going to do with the eggs. I hope it was some kind of ritual that involves Mother Earth’s blessings. Perhaps I’ll ask the native brother, if anyone out there reading this blog, asks me to.

Meditation Geese

June

My meditation geese family has learned now to avoid the geese hater, who is actually a bird hater in general. He still kicks a pigeon any time he can.

My geese family seems to understand my geese slang language and I warn them when the hater comes out of the cellblock. Early in the morning, we do our meditation. I turn on a tiny trickle of water from the water faucet, and we commune there, they drink and sit by the small pool of water created by the faucet. Yet, Folsom manmade lake is not even half a mile away. My geese friends sit here, in tune with the sprinkles of water. Perhaps, the geese know that any manmade lake is not natural, nor ever can be. When you alter one of Mother Earth’s veins, man cannot know what is best for Mother Earth other than living as One and in tune with her. But, man could never know more, than Mother knows about her own being.

Bird Karma

June

Makes me wonder if the bird hater’s karma isn’t bad enough serving a life sentence in prison. The geese hater continues to harass any birds he can. This morning my geese family came with their new goslings, I fed them and we meditated together for a few moments, but then the geese hater and a couple of his hater friends came out and my geese family flew off without letting them get close enough to injure any goose. By noon the bird hater went in to his cell and moments later I see my geese family at the top of the small yard. When they see me, they all walk down to where I am. I give them bread and turn on some water.

A passing guard asked :” why do they come here and drink water, when there is Folsom Lake not far from the prison?” I believe the birds know where they can share love and space. We spent the rest of the afternoon embraced in meditation.

The Edge

June

Today after the bird hater went in, crows and pigeons and an unknown bird appeared, sparrows came and black birds danced to the ground and I heard red-breasted finches making their sweet sounds. Then my geese family came out onto the high roof above the hospital corridor and art room. At first, I only saw two heads peeping over the edge of the building, but when I did my geese greeting two more heads appeared and I knew it was my meditating family. I called them down. Another prisoner and a tower guard were watching, when one goose flew down and then the others, we did our long neck and tongue high greeting. The tower guard said: ”You called them down!” He was also fond of animals. And I said “Yes of course, we are family.”

I turned the water on and we did our geese meditation focusing on and being a part of the water.

Abandoned

June

The abandoned nest still sits with two lovely eggs in it. In passing all looks well, but it's cold out and it has been at least ten days or more since the pigeons sat on the eggs. I still see the Mother pigeon flying off twisting and turning in her flight mad after being harassed by the bird hater. I knew then she would not be back. Mother Earth has whispered to her the bird hater won't allow any life in the pipe and to save her life she must leave. The bird hater accomplished his task. The hater should bury the eggs and say a prayer or eat them and not just let them sit in the drainage pipe never to come to life.

Under their wings

June

I was too late. The bird hater has harassed the pigeons nesting in the drainage pipe until, they too, like the geese took to the sky out of the prison. I saw the bird hater numerous times go over to the nest and run the sating birds off. I saw and felt the bird's frustration in the way the pigeon flew away as if evil was under her wings. The birds were only trying to be good parents and bring up their young ones in a place where nature is discouraged and forbidden. I tried a couple of times to reason with the bird hater into leaving the nesting birds alone. But his passion to hate was too strong, like a tidal wave and haters don't need any reason to hate.

This is the third year in a roll the bird hater has ran the nesting pigeons off. Sometimes kicking the pigeons. Sometimes I had toughts of kicking his ass! Yet, then I would be just like him; when I believe in love, peace, realness, Mother Earth and forgiveness. 
 

Geese Meditation

June 

Again this morning my geese family was back and came up to the art room fence to eat and sit and meditate with me. I wish it could be filmed to see how they greet me and know the dif ference between me and the bird haters. Mother Earth has equipped them with such realness. They brought their new teenage goslings they had to rear outside the prison walls this time. Still it amazes me how they too, come up to me, accept me, as though they know me as a part of their family.

They don't come as close as their parents to the fence, sometimes they turn their heads in wonder as they watch their parents and I greet.

Today was extra special, about thirty feet away I see Bow Legs, one of their off spring I helped raise about two summers ago. She is big sister to the new goslings. I wonder do they know that? Do they know she is their big sister? The parents share tough love with Bow Legs and don't let her come too close. They want her to be more on her own. She was the youngest of the first clutch. They chase her briefly if she moves in too close. I throw bread crumbs out to her. Soon we all hang in there, meditating.

The Egg

June

It is deep spring now and recorded weather says it should be at least 85 degrees, yet, the temperature hovers at 50 and 60 degrees. The sky is full of dark clouds and misty rain.

The pigeon eggs are still in the drainage pipe long abandoned by their parents due to the bird hater who kept chasing the adult pigeons off. Three weeks and a half, the eggs are still there never to hatch, cold now and probably rotten inside. Since he killed the eggs the bird hater should at least bury the oval marble coloured eggs. I wonder is there a bird heaven in the sky that like human babies never to be born go? I wonder where do the babies or even plants of all kinds never to be born go?

Winter to winter

June
This morning is cold and damp – the sky is full of dark funnel-like clouds. Here in northern California there were tornados yesterday and last night hail storms and heavy rains. It feels like it went from winter to winter, no spring, summer or fall. I did see my sparrow family that nest amongst the mesh fencing and razor wire on the hanging roof above the prison canteen. A small clan of sparrows come to the other end of the corridor down from the art room in front of the library and inside the hold cage for the hospital. I make sure to feed them in both spots. Today the sparrows brought their yellow-rim beaked babies, almost as big as their thumb sized parents. Flapping wings right above the fat chunk of bread. They don't take a bite but wait to take a bit e from their mom's mouth, as if something magical happens to take the crumbs beak to beak.

The red-breasted finches came back for a few days, but now I have not seen them in weeks. They must be nesting elsewhere. I have my geese family and sparrow friends and omnipresent pigeons. I feed my crow brothers from a distance. They are forever wary of any tricks from man. Other than when they bark, they choose silence and distance.

Chain linked fence 
June
Now there is thunder and lightening, and looking out of the chain linked fence on the left side of the Art room, I see the geese hater kicking at the pigeons I fed, and chasing the pipe nesting pigeons – keeping them away from their nest and one egg. It's cold out. I thought he was just a geese hater. I suppose he hates all birds. The winds are blowing. It seem to have rained all night.

Bird haters
May
I hope they don't know about the pigeons nesting the hollow drainage pipe in the wall. One egg so far. But fear someone has harrassed them. Yesterday the father sat on the egg. Today I've seen no bird around.


Bird stuff

May
The geese love it, the wet grass, and the dark sky this morning. I watch geese ponder on wet grass and gaze at the sky. Eight geese sit there, looking towards Mecca, or perhaps Folsom lake. They don't seem to want anything right now - just to be. Hello Morning! Peace G Love!

Drawing by Spoon

Exploratory run
April
I am certain spring has come in deep now. The air is full of pollen, love and the sweet, sweaty smell such warm flavors bring to mind, spirit and heart.

It must have been an exploratory run for the two pair of redbreasted finches exploring the top corner of the tall razor wire topped gate, across from the art room. I saw the pairs of readbreasted finches jostling for the open snug place – back and forth they danced and paraded in the air through the fences. Finally only one pair remained singing their songs early mornings.

But two weeks later, I saw the pair a couple of times and no nesting twigs and glitter hang from the hole at the top of the gate between concrete and steel. By now there should be eggs and perhaps babies chirping. It must have been an exploratory run and I suppose the finches sensed the intolerance of the hater prisoners that destroy the geese eggs and decided to nest somewhere else, where peace and love can blossom. My hopes was up, that I would have young birds to watch, but as long as they found a placid place to nest I am happy.

I have seen a few swallows darting by, I don’t know what kind they are. They are slack looking, smooth flyers, at one with the wind.

 

Drawing by Spoon

No goslings this year 
April 2011
My geese family came back to the small side of the yard to nest again, but after they had laid their eggs, some nature hating inmates stole the eggs and harassed the would-be nesters away. I helped raise their goslings a year or so ago.

We did our geese meditations together and looked into each others eyes and shared a common spirit. The nature haters did not eat the eggs, they just destroyed them and threw them up against the concrete wall like handballs, and stained the razor wire on top of the walls.

The parents of last years goslings, hung around the nest area for a while, confused and crying in words any realness, any loving being could understand.

The haters chased and bothered the would-be parents for more than a week until finally, the geese stayed away. They nest on the backside of the cell blocks now, across from the electric fences, where no prisoners can see them.

I can hear them but not see them behind the cell walls. Now the first warm days of spring, I would have made a pond for the goslings and I would have watched their first dip and water dance, perhaps I would have danced with them, like I did last year – my first geese meditations.

Drawing by Spoon

I Wonder (poem for Indiana)

I always have dreams

some take me inside

and outside of prisons

animals often speak

with me or hang out

as friends and guides

Again today I hear but,

cannot see the geese

just outside the tine

covered over window

at the back side of the cell

I wonder do they know

I am listening

on the other side

of the walls

The dawning of spring for the pigeons and geese I watch each day. The male pigeon is courting the female to nest and wooing in the grass. On the backside of the cellblocks there are already goslings. I hear the geese early mornings through the thick cell walls long before sunrise.

I am a man physically in prison but I would love to have a lady friend for deep conversation, music, song and vibes and long looks into eachother’s eyes. A woman in my life who likes theatre, dance, art, books, nature, travels, sunsets and who looks good in sandals. An open friendship/relationship where our conversation would be like a river or mountain stream.

Write me and let’s create a lovely journey…

Family of geese

I saw and fed the family of geese this morning. I had to call them down from building 5 in front of building 8. The Mama and Papa geese saw me tossing bread in the sky for them and they took big jumps towards the food. They just could not get up and fly in one jump because the babies would have been left behind. I spread the bread and an apple out . Pigeons came down and I watched the most aggressive young gooslings chase a pigeon away. They are a little smaller than a soft ball and so full of curious life.

Realness people - I have not blogged or done newsletters in a long time. Today I must – someone has been shooting pigeons with home made darts, probably from a pellet rifle. I saw two birds with darts embedded in their chests. Another pigeon had a dart through its neck and the back of its head, which prevented it from eating and made its left eyelid close unnaturally, and also stopped the bird from eating. It tried over and over to eat but could not.

A couple of officers, to my surprise, tried to catch the pigeon and we almost had the bird. But it flew up the hill to another feeding area. I followed and finally another prisoner and I managed to catch the Rock Dove and I quickly pulled the dart out of the bird's neck and head and tossed him into the air. He flew away. Moments later he was back, eating whole slices of bread, making up for lost eating.

Some people consider pigeons flying rats – creatures like seagulls that would eat anything. I say so what! Every animal, including humans have their niche and we must live in harmony or at least try to.