Those of you who have written in my kitchen with me or have read Through the Gates, know that the tiny house wren figures prominently in the chorus of inspiration we find here in spring. I am pleased to say the wrens are back this year, although they have taken up residence in the little house on our neighbor’s back porch rather than ours. It’s okay. We put the house there as a love offering to our neighbor, and are glad to share the delights of this fluttering life with all who are eager to look and listen. We witness the wrens’ diligent comings and goings from our porch or from our neighbor’s, and the mighty song fills these walls when our windows are open, which is often these days.

As I write this, I am listening to our resident pair call and respond. I have heard the hatchlings peeping too.

Here’s the newest wren poem.

Return of the House Wren

The call of the wren is key to your heart.
Hark! His insistent, unmistakable signature
reaches, tumbles, lands precisely,
when you listen, inside
a door you didn’t even know was locked.

This is why the tears well.
Spring’s unsealed in our shared garden!
You murmur among the budding roses, find
his notes bubbling through your song
and write them here, because you can,
because like him you must.

We want our kind to carry on.

–Susan Windle

The political work too carries on, because it must. After working hard this past year to get 17 progressive Democratic Committee People elected in my ward, I shift my attention now to the launching of a campaign for a public bank in Philadelphia. I will write about that in future posts, Meanwhile, I send love and deep support for the ways you choose to help shift our culture from the paradigm of greed.

Some among you have asked for summer Writing Circles.  I am happy to say this year I can offer three Friday Circles in my airy Mt. Airy kitchen—we’ll turn the AC on if we absolutely have to but will keep those windows open when we can. You may come to one, two or all three sessions-—whatever works for you!

See the specific dates and times in the Upcoming Events section of this page, and contact me  if you would like to come write and listen with us. If you have never participated one of these Circles and are curious, read more about the Writing Circles here.

Please let me know soon if you can commit to any or all three of these sessions. First come, first serve!

I expect to do a Thursday Circle in the Wissahickon in August and/or September. Stay tuned for that.

All love~

Susan