Hope Rises
heavy under
a misty veil
i see dimly
until
startled by a
cardinal
on a naked branch
and hope rises
on scarlet wings.
~Sandra Heska King (2010)
Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops . . . at all. ~Emily Dickinson
Floating flakes swirl large and gentle, sifting into mounds, powdered sugar soft. They fluff under my feet as I, robed and slippered white, scuff out to the feeders.
Mrs. Cardinal, head down, pecks at crumbs under the breakfast table, dressed in drab and blending in with the other diners.
She’s too fearful for a photo.
But looking up, I’m startled by her king, scarlet feathered.
The male cardinal almost always surprises me, leaves me breathless.
Blood against the bare.
Again I’m reminded of the crimson (scarlet) worm, the towla worm, that L.L. Barkat describes in Stone Crossings.
“How then can a man be righteous before God?
How can one born of woman be pure?
If even the moon is not bright
and the stars are not pure in his eyes,
how much less man, who is but a maggot
a son of man, who is only a worm!”
Job 25:4-6 (NIV)
The crimson “worm” is really an insect, a grub. About the size of a little berry. When the time is ripe, the wingless female climbs up a tree and attaches herself to it.
There she lays her eggs, births a family.
She bleeds a crimson juice that covers her “children” and leaves a red stain on the wood.
She dies so they can live.
Worm–towla.
Back in the day, folks harvested the bodies and crushed them to make a scarlet dye. L.L. puts it this way:
This reminds me again of the Hebrew word tiqvah, translated “hope” in Ruth 1:12 when Naomi says, “If I had hope . . . “
Tiqvah is first used in Joshua 2:18 and translated “cord.” David’s great-great grandmother, Rahab, the Gentile harlot named in the genealogy of Jesus, tied a cord in her window, and her family was saved when the walls of Jericho fell.
A scarlet cord. Likely stained with the crushed body of a towla worm.
Hope.
A cord to cling to when things seem hopeless.
A cord of hope that connects us to Hope.
Hope for redemption.
Hope for restoration.
Hope for renewal.
Hope for a new story in the midst of brokeness.
The thread, the cord, the hope, the Hope, that runs throughout the pages of scripture.
I can’t see a male cardinal anymore without seeing hope.
Praying that hope rises in you this weekend no matter what swirls around you.
And look up.
You may see hope in the branches.
Note:
Parts of this post were pulled from the archives of this blog.
American Christian
Fiction Writers
Scarlet blood, also shed for us on the cross — the hope of mankind, bleeding a life… offering the trade of his for ours.
Cardinals are extraordinary sights, for sure. I don’t get them here so am pleased to see your gorgeous photos.
Carol J. Garvin recently posted..Does Success Really Matter
They are very common here, but they still take my breath away. So striking. And today when I was feeling a little down, I saw one–barely visible–in the branches. They always take my breath away.
I’ve often seen cardinals up north. They give winter a flash of color like a promise spring will soon be here. Your pictures are amazing.
When I think of hope, I see strong hands, fingers laced together to make a platform for the foot named, “faith.”
Susan J. Reinhardt recently posted..Friday Round-Up – 141
That’s beautiful, Susan!
oh sandra–this is exquisite. i LOVE the poem at the beginning. i love how you weave hope like a feather throughout the rest of the post… and the photos are magnificent. a wonderful post.
in the hush of the moon recently posted..imperfect prose on thursdays- the man with the hat
Thanks so much, Emily!
Hope is a good thing. Thanks for sharing.
Always.
Sandra, as always, a beautifully written post. You always touch my heart with your precious words. May the Lord bless your writing more and more!
Lynn Mosher recently posted..Hallowed Be Thy Name
Thanks so much, Lynn. XOXO
I read in the MSG yesterday Colossians 1:5 – The lines of purpose ….. kept taut by hope. What an important ingredient hope is.
I have to go look that up! That’s beautiful.
Beautiful words of hope, Sandra! Thank you for sharing the blessing.
Connie Arnold recently posted..Revealing Love
Thanks, Connie!
Hi there everyone, First time poster and excited to be a part of the conversation .
Welcome, Sarah. So glad to have you visit.
How did I miss this post?! I saw a female cardinal yesterday and wrote a poem. I’ll post it soon.
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