When we moved into our new house, over three years ago now, we did some yard work early on. The many trees in the yard were a selling point, but many needed trimming. At the end of our driveway, between our house and our neighbors, there was a very large bush that made it hard for us to back out of the driveway. But when we trimmed our side of the bush, our neighbor at the time, Joyce, politely reminded us that the bush belonged to her.
We didn’t touch the bush for three years and we learned to be extra careful backing out of the driveway.
Fast forward to last August when Joyce sold her house and a lovely couple moved in next door. One of the first things we asked was, “would you mind if we trimmed that bush?” It was no problem for them at all and they went one step further and offered to remove the bush all together.
This week, I arrived home from work one afternoon and found that only the stump of the bush remained. I saw the new neighbors outside and they explained that the stump would also be removed in the coming days.
This morning, as I brought our bags out to the car for an out of state dance convention, a spot of red caught my eye. It was a cardinal sitting on the stump. I pulled my camera out, wanting to capture a photo of the cardinal. I’ve written about the significance of the cardinal before. As I adjusted my view and prepared to take the photo, the cardinal flew away.
My eyes lingered for a moment, remembering the cardinal hopping around the bush from time to time. Then something else caught my eye… a pile of sticks that had once been the overgrown bush, now piled waiting to be taken away. There were birds flitting around. These were probably the birds that had called that bush their home…I had not considered them when we thanked the neighbors for being so kind and removing the bush.
Where There Is Joy 
I feel your heartbeat here.
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Oh my, that last image, and your “I had not thought…” It took my breath away.
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You painted a vivid picture of another living creature displaced as humans solved a human problem. I look forward to the cardinal finding a new home, nearby!
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There’s always an angle we just don’t consider, isn’t there? Hoping you get the joyful experience of seeing those cardinals safely carve out a new home for themselves.
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A gentle and powerful slice. I feel for Mr. Cardinal, but trust that he will find another spot to land. The image of him on the stump will linger, though.
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I wasn’t expecting that ending. Your slice reminded me of one of my favorite picture books Red and Lulu. Those cardinals are strong. Maybe they will find a home in a spot where you can watch them all the time.
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The title gave me an inkling, although, as a cardinal lover, I was especially sad with who was displaced. I have a feeling you’ll be on the look out for re-placed (un-displaced?) cardinals for a while. Powerful writing, Jess.
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This is great. You took it (or the reality took it) in an unexpected direction but it’s evocative and descriptive, I can see your driveway. I blame the prior owners and their stubbornness for displacing the cardinal family though – had they just kept it trimmed everyone would be happy. ;0
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That was an unexpected ending.
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That was an unexpected ending.
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Oh, I definitely wasn’t expecting that twist. Even with the title. It makes me think about the times I’ve been so wrapped up in my bubble that I forget about all the other bubbles I touch. Hopefully they stick around!
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