The Peacock.
Beating the air with fan-like tail,
he strutted,
tail proudly held high.
Each feathery eye shimmering,
catching the watchers gaze.
Turning this way and that.
Rainbow hues dancing in the air.
Splendid beauty, creations wonder. Eye upon eye like an inner eye,
catching and holding, we pause in awe.
Myriad aigrette gemstones.
Old wives' tales of him are spoken,
Avoid, beware they say,
beware the evil eye.
How can such resplendent beauty evil be?
Surely the hand of creation here we can see.
Much better hear that age-old word,
he speaks of Life,
beyond the grave.
If we were told surprised we would not be,
He stood resplendent on the first ever Easter Day.
Good Luck? - Bad Luck?
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate from the love of God that in Christ Jesus we see.
Romans 8: 38.
I remember as if it were only yesterday the first time I ever came eye to eye with a peacock. I was awestruck by its splendour and beauty, here I was seeing something that was very special. I was a very young lad at the time and from that moment to this very day, the peacock has held such a fascination that has never waned or faltered.
Some years later I had persuaded my father to take me to Pittencrieff Glen where I knew they had a number of peacocks. Pittencrieff Glen and Park were donated to my home town by Andrew Carnegie, the great benefactor. I walked around the extensive grounds keeping my eyes open and my mind alert, I so wanted to once again see a peacock in all its splendour. I was not to be disappointed I caught sight of two that day and one was showing and parading in all its full-blown glory. I was awestruck.
The park keeper had been watching me as I was captured by the bird. He joined me and began to tell me all about the birds and how they attracted a mate by proudly showing off his feathers. I listened intently. He then invited myself and my father into his shed where he presented me with a tail feather from the peacock.
I took it home eyes aglow and a smile on my face. I felt as though I had been given a gift of the crown jewels, I will never forget that day. As I travelled home on the bus I could see it hanging on my bedroom wall above my bed where I would be able to stare at it from time to time. I had thoughts of trying to paint a picture of it.
I can remember the utter disappointment when my mother forbade me to take it over the threshold. In no uncertain manner, I was told that I was not bringing that thing into the house, it was to her a symbol of death. I left it outside and never saw it again, but I have never forgotten that day or that feather.
This was my first introduction to superstition. It was not to be my last. I soon learned all sorts of taboos. It was unlucky to walk under a ladder, to break a mirror was even worse this could bring seven years of misfortune. Never must you put an umbrella fully up in the house and never raise it above your head indoors.
There were good luck events and items. A four-leaf clover, one of nature's rarities, was full of good luck. A horseshoe was full of good luck if you hung it near to your entrance door, but remember always have the ends pointing upwards or the luck runs out.
I can remember finding a patch of clover on my way home from school and in a week finding a large number of four-leaf ones. A neighbour asked me to take her to where I had found them, it seems you had to find them yourself or it was of no value being given one. She managed to find one and placed it in the pages of her bible. I found this a strange thing to do. My father in law was a blacksmith and he could make great horseshoes but he never seemed any luckier than anybody else I knew.
If I found a peacock feather tomorrow, what would I do with it? I would hang it on my study wall. I walk most days of the week and pass clover patches frequently and have often spotted four-leaf ones. Where are they? Still growing where I left them. I have walked under many ladders and have survived them all.
My peacock taught me that you either trust in a higher power than yourself or you put your trust in superstition but you certainly should not have both. Jesus taught the tomorrow should be left to itself not to fret or worry about something that is still not here. Lao Tzu taught that yesterday was gone and tomorrow was yet to be so live today and make the very best of each moment you have.
Enjoy the peacock in all its glory, but if you see one in a painting from a master be sure there is a deeper meaning.
Some years later I had persuaded my father to take me to Pittencrieff Glen where I knew they had a number of peacocks. Pittencrieff Glen and Park were donated to my home town by Andrew Carnegie, the great benefactor. I walked around the extensive grounds keeping my eyes open and my mind alert, I so wanted to once again see a peacock in all its splendour. I was not to be disappointed I caught sight of two that day and one was showing and parading in all its full-blown glory. I was awestruck.
The park keeper had been watching me as I was captured by the bird. He joined me and began to tell me all about the birds and how they attracted a mate by proudly showing off his feathers. I listened intently. He then invited myself and my father into his shed where he presented me with a tail feather from the peacock.
I took it home eyes aglow and a smile on my face. I felt as though I had been given a gift of the crown jewels, I will never forget that day. As I travelled home on the bus I could see it hanging on my bedroom wall above my bed where I would be able to stare at it from time to time. I had thoughts of trying to paint a picture of it.
I can remember the utter disappointment when my mother forbade me to take it over the threshold. In no uncertain manner, I was told that I was not bringing that thing into the house, it was to her a symbol of death. I left it outside and never saw it again, but I have never forgotten that day or that feather.
This was my first introduction to superstition. It was not to be my last. I soon learned all sorts of taboos. It was unlucky to walk under a ladder, to break a mirror was even worse this could bring seven years of misfortune. Never must you put an umbrella fully up in the house and never raise it above your head indoors.
There were good luck events and items. A four-leaf clover, one of nature's rarities, was full of good luck. A horseshoe was full of good luck if you hung it near to your entrance door, but remember always have the ends pointing upwards or the luck runs out.
I can remember finding a patch of clover on my way home from school and in a week finding a large number of four-leaf ones. A neighbour asked me to take her to where I had found them, it seems you had to find them yourself or it was of no value being given one. She managed to find one and placed it in the pages of her bible. I found this a strange thing to do. My father in law was a blacksmith and he could make great horseshoes but he never seemed any luckier than anybody else I knew.
If I found a peacock feather tomorrow, what would I do with it? I would hang it on my study wall. I walk most days of the week and pass clover patches frequently and have often spotted four-leaf ones. Where are they? Still growing where I left them. I have walked under many ladders and have survived them all.
My peacock taught me that you either trust in a higher power than yourself or you put your trust in superstition but you certainly should not have both. Jesus taught the tomorrow should be left to itself not to fret or worry about something that is still not here. Lao Tzu taught that yesterday was gone and tomorrow was yet to be so live today and make the very best of each moment you have.
Enjoy the peacock in all its glory, but if you see one in a painting from a master be sure there is a deeper meaning.
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