Month: April 2026

Early Birds

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Birdsong begins in my yard at 3:45.
In the morning.
The birds remind me of this fact
when I sleep with windows open.
Night bugs have hummed me to sleep,
birdsong greets me when I wake—
or when it wakes me
in the wee hours.
This morning,
a mockingbird on some nearby perch
commenced his concert at 4:00.
He ran through his repertoire
interspersing chirps and chirrs
with fancy fluting phrases
rising and dipping and dancing.
But it’s early.
I glance at my clock.
Very early.
Are these birds singing in their sleep?
Or summoning the sunrise?
Or maybe the first hint of dawn
is already drifting into the sky
and summoning them.
If the early bird catches the worm,
these warblers will be well-fed.
Maybe this is their prayer before breakfast.
Maybe they are singing in pure joy
at the bounty, the beauty, the blessing
of simply being,
being a flying, perching, singing soul
here to see the sun circle
one more day.
I lie back, pillowed and peaceful,
listening and grateful.
As the mockingbird’s melodies
melt into morning,
I let him sing me back to sleep.
-kh-

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:


Shadow of the week:

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Text and photos © Karyn Henley 2026. All rights reserved.

Trading my Why

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Why does the sun shine?
Why does the moon glow?
Why do stars twinkle?
Why does the bluebird need
a nesting hole just the right size,
no smaller, no larger?
I grew up as a why girl asking—
mostly in silence—
a shy why, why, why?
In all my grown-up years,
raising children of my own,
my why grew boldly curious.
We set about searching for answers.
But these days, I find I’m changing.
Oh, I know there are reasons,
answers to a thousand why’s,
and the reasons can be fascinating,
but in the end,
I don’t need the shy why
or the bold why.
I need only an open heart
welcoming wonder,
admitting awe,
diving deeply into childlike delight,
receiving the simple gifts of
starshine,
moonglow,
sunrise,
sunset,
bluebird building a nest in the bird box,
robin splashing in a puddle,
cat napping,
trees and breeze and budding blooms,
and the cheery tunes of the mockingbird.
Why?
That’s for my younger friends to ask—
and I say, ask away.
Shy or bold, ask.
As for me,
I’m trading my Why for Wonder.
-kh-

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:


Shadow of the week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

Text and photos © Karyn Henley 2026. All rights reserved.

Above the Backyard World

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A robin sits at the summit
of the garage next door,
peers out from the peak
as if he is the sentinel,
the lookout,
the guardian
of bird world.
He looks left and right,
bobs his head,
preens his flight feathers,
scans the backyard scene again.
He’s a living roof ornament,
his plump rust-orange belly topping off
the brown-shingled A-line roof
and tan stucco walls
as if some designer had chosen him,
exactly him,
and carefully placed him there.
And perhaps some Designer did.
-kh-

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:


Shadow of the week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.
Text and photos © Karyn Henley 2026. All rights reserved.

A World That Says Yes

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Six geese fly east,
warm wind whistles through screens,
trees wave their newborn leaves
greeting Spring.
I sometimes ask
what my word for today is,
not knowing what the day will bring
but making meaning of my time,
perhaps a theme,
a purposeful dream to bring
to the mix of me and the circling seasons.
This morning one word dances
through my head into my heart:
Gratitude.
For a world that says yes
to being reborn,
for joy enough to outbalance sadness,
for beauty enough to outweigh decay,
for life enough to outlast death.
What was invisible in bare Winter
was slowly growing all along,
roots and shoots,
preserved, protected,
patient, persistent,
each day easing toward renewal,
bringing this wisdom, ages old:
Because the seeds have been planted,
there is always, always
the hope of love,
the return of joy,
the presence of peace.
Life feels so fragile,
yet life persists.
There is always a tomorrow
to hold our hopes,
to carry what we care about,
a tomorrow that soon enough
becomes today
when six geese fly east,
warm wind whistles through screens,
and trees wave their newborn leaves.
Hello, says Spring.
Hello, I say.
Thank you.
-kh-

Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:


Shadow of the week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.
Text and photos © Karyn Henley 2026. All rights reserved.