A Window for the Soul
My table is window facing and the window opens up to a beautiful view of trees, buildings and a playing area for kids. I can just look out for hours and it inspires me create; I wouldn’t give it up for the world. Some time back I started keeping food for birds at the window ledge, of sorts, artificially created by a table. My initial visitors were a noisy bunch of demanding crows. I’d watch the pigeons flutter and would just be glad that my ledge is not some place they’d like to hang out at. This is backed by history. I used to live with a few girls a decade and a half ago and we, in our flats, were treated like intruders. Our house, everyday, was hijacked by Pigeons. They’d fly around, at times more than one and create havoc right in the morning.
Then the Crows’ visits started being replaced by Sparrows. They are delightful little creatures whose presence fills my heart. They are dainty, graceful and oh so well mannered. They have a huge sense of camaraderie. At times, they’d come in pairs, sometimes a trio would visit. Now they regularly come to eat, just lounge around or perch on the string used for drying clothes, and sing endlessly. A few months back I could see Fantails from my window. They are small like Sparrows but have a tail shaped like a fan — very exotic to me. The recent avian delight to join my window TV is the Common Mynah. They love drying themselves over here since it is monsoons, binge eating and hanging out. They get along with their lot but are often shooed away by the Crows. I find all this fascinating.
To my dismay, the Pigeons are back and they treat my window like an all day diner. What they always do is come in gangs or sometimes ones & twos, act greedy, not let the other Pigeon eat or drink, fight, and drop all the dishes and the food, only to fly away empty handed. Reminds me of all of us and of course capitalism.
