Draw a Bird Day: Hoopoe
I Ask the Hoopoe Three Questions
In my dreams I am always traveling: as Joni says, “looking for something, what can it be?” My home is the stairway down to the subway, up to the train platform, watching the landscape moving beside the bus.
Here I am again, on the road…in the median I see the bird—huge, red crested, black and white striped wings. I step off the highway into the lush green.
Hoopoe is both real and mythical. It is associated with death, war, and disease, but also with purity, virtue and leadership. Sometimes it is a messenger between heaven and earth.
I like best the hoopoe in the Sufi story-poem, “The Conference of the Birds”.
What did you
find at the end of
your journey?
Dark and light
intermingling inside your
eye? Do you know Crow?
I really did have this dream, and spent a few days online looking for the bird. I knew the hoopoe from the Sufi story, but I don’t think I knew what it really looked like. It’s a beauty! dVerse also had a prompt earlier in the week about hometowns, which was the starting point for my haibun .
You can read about “The Conference of the Birds” here. And I highly recommend Peter Sis’ beautifully illustrated version of it, which you can read about here.
And any excuse for some Joni Mitchell (I was at this concert).
Happy Draw-a Bird Day!
Joni, unusual birds (well, I didn’t know of it), and dreams–what a winning combination!
Your collage is like a dream, too.
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Thanks Merril. It was such a vivid dream…and to have it turn out to be a real bird! and such an interesting one too.
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That is so cool, Kerfe. That seems like some sort of message for sure.
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If only I could figure out what it is…but I love “The Conference of the Birds”, I’ll have to look for my copy. Maybe it’s in there.
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I will have to look it up.
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Oh my gosh, I love your collage art today, the Hoopoe is one of my favorites. And, a special treat from Joni, thank you also one of my favorites.
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Thanks Sharon. It’s an amazing bird. And Joni…
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So interesting about the Hoopoe! Had never seen or heard of this beauty! and you sure made a beauty too! Happy DABday! I finally remembered 🙂
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Thanks! I’ll take a look–
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That bird is so rarely seen… a true beauty, but also one warning of wars as you say…
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It is a beauty. But full of portents for sure.
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Nice collage. The crest of the bird stands out well. It is the first time I’ve heard of Attar and the The Conference of the Birds. I will look for a translation of that poem.
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Thanks Frank. Yes, do look for it, it’s a wonderful poem.
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I forgot about Bird Day. So sorry. This is a good one, K!
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Hi Kerfe, enjoyed your collage of your bird today. Funny how our dreams can direct us sometimes. I have been having some really strange dreams lately. Not sure yet where they are directing me. 😃
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I haven’t figured this one out either. If nothing else, they make us consider the world in a different light–
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“My home is the stairway down to the subway, up to the train platform, watching the landscape moving beside the bus.” This line tugged at my heart. I enjoyed this dreamy haibun and beautiful collage art.
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Thanks Mish. Our dreams often reveal inner truths I think.
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We get hoopoes here. I didn’t know about the mythology connected with them. Makes me like them all the more 🙂
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We don’t have them in the Americas, but I could see them fitting well in the desert landscape in Arizona. They seem designed to inspire stories.
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They look like Mexican headdresses. I can see them in the desert too.
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Such colorful and different birds!
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Don’t you love that crest? They don’t live in North American unforturnately….
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So cool
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This is gorgeous–I love working in collage. Enjoyed your bridge sketches, too.
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Thanks Victoria. Collage is my favorite medium.
The bridge sketches were done by the other half of memadtwo, Nina (this is Kerfe). We started the blog together to inspire each other. Under the date it usually says whose post it is, and we try to remember to put our initials on comments.
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Hoopoes are a favorite of mine. They are also Israel’s national bird. What an incredible collage – I absolutely love it!
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I… love this. It’s simply beautiful! Thank you SO much for sharing with me, Kerfe. I’m moved both by your art and your gesture.
-David
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I’m so pleased David. I’ll never forget that dream.
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