Hummingbird Moth

“If you notice anything,
it leads you to notice
more
and more” - Mary Oliver

Last night, right before I sighed over the beautiful sunset, I noticed a moonflower shaking wildly and heard the sound of wings. “Oh my”, I said to my son, “is that a hummingbird in there?” And no sooner did I finish that pondering, a giant hummingbird moth emerged and moved on to the next bloom, diving into the blossom with wild abandon. “Let’s catch it for a look”, my son whispered. “let’s not”, I replied. Instead, I grabbed my phone and took a vid clip.

Maybe these encounters are commonplace in your life that they no longer have power over you. Or maybe, like me, you know too well how fragile and fleeting it is, and how lucky we are that this little community of ours is still home to animal kin other than human.

I remember hearing whippoorwills in the evening when I was a child. And i also remember when i stopped hearing them. The silence was deafening and heartbreaking. I long for that song still.