Call of Wild Geese
09/26/21 • 32 min
These are the mornings of mist that ring with the call of geese. What is it about catching sight of the flight of geese and hearing their wind-borne calls that evokes such feelings restless longing and yearning within us? And yearning for what? We listen to the words of Wendell Berry, BB, David Whyte and Mary Oliver to find ways to capture those powerful emotions.
Journal entry:
“24th September, Friday
A tangle of Victorian girders
Russet brown; a lacy filigree
of metal, rivets, and musty glass.
Anti-pigeon spikes
Repel the reality in which we live.
Willowherb smoke, rusty sidings,
Bramble fountains – barbed and irrepressible.
The sharp-edged wings of a gull,
Outstretched, cruciform, alive.
And my spirit rises with it,
Soaring into the sunlight above the grime-streaked glass.”
Episode Information
In this episode I discuss some of the ‘Little Grey Men’ books of the author BB (Denys Watkins-Pitchford). They are:
BB (1942) Little Grey Men reissued (2012) by Oxford University Press.
BB (1948) Down the Bright Stream (later published as The Little Grey Men go Down the Bright Stream) also reissued (2001) by Oxford University Press.
Wendell Berry’s poem ‘Listen!’ can be found in his (2018) volume, The Peace of Wild Things published by Penguin Books.
David Whyte’s poem ‘The Journey’ has a number of publications but can be read in his (2018) David Whyte: Essentials published by Many Rivers Press. You can watch him talk about it and recite it here: The Journey.
The two poems by Mary Oliver ‘Snow Geese’ and ‘Wild Geese’ are collected in her (200
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Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
These are the mornings of mist that ring with the call of geese. What is it about catching sight of the flight of geese and hearing their wind-borne calls that evokes such feelings restless longing and yearning within us? And yearning for what? We listen to the words of Wendell Berry, BB, David Whyte and Mary Oliver to find ways to capture those powerful emotions.
Journal entry:
“24th September, Friday
A tangle of Victorian girders
Russet brown; a lacy filigree
of metal, rivets, and musty glass.
Anti-pigeon spikes
Repel the reality in which we live.
Willowherb smoke, rusty sidings,
Bramble fountains – barbed and irrepressible.
The sharp-edged wings of a gull,
Outstretched, cruciform, alive.
And my spirit rises with it,
Soaring into the sunlight above the grime-streaked glass.”
Episode Information
In this episode I discuss some of the ‘Little Grey Men’ books of the author BB (Denys Watkins-Pitchford). They are:
BB (1942) Little Grey Men reissued (2012) by Oxford University Press.
BB (1948) Down the Bright Stream (later published as The Little Grey Men go Down the Bright Stream) also reissued (2001) by Oxford University Press.
Wendell Berry’s poem ‘Listen!’ can be found in his (2018) volume, The Peace of Wild Things published by Penguin Books.
David Whyte’s poem ‘The Journey’ has a number of publications but can be read in his (2018) David Whyte: Essentials published by Many Rivers Press. You can watch him talk about it and recite it here: The Journey.
The two poems by Mary Oliver ‘Snow Geese’ and ‘Wild Geese’ are collected in her (200
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
Previous Episode
The Gongoozler and the Nomad
This week we catch up with news of our little swan family and explore the strange word ‘gongoozler’. What does it mean? Where does it come from? In some ways it functions as a shibboleth. Its use identifying the ‘true’ canal people from those outside the community. However, it also shines a light on tensions of modern day living.
Journal entry:
“15th September, Wednesday
Dawn filled with the scent of autumn notes.
Rooks stream like smoke or falling leaves
Across the ragged sky
Haunted by geese calls
Flying east into the rising sun.”
Episode Information
The website to which I refer in this episode is ‘Word Histories’ and the entry for ‘gongoozler’ is here: ‘Meaning and origin of ‘Gongoozler’’.
I also refer to the following:
HR De Salis (1904/2012) Bradshaw's Canals and Navigable Rivers of England and Wales republished by Old House Books (among others)
L.T.C. Rolt (1944) Narrow Boat first published by Eire and Spottiswoode
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeo
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
Next Episode
Rook Ravaged Skies
This has been a week of blustery winds and storms. Perfect weather for the wild choreographies of the rooks jousting on the wind. The devil has spat upon the blackberries and we (rather hurriedly) mark our first birthday – this podcast is one year old!
Journal entry:
“2nd October, Saturday
Below a thrown scatter of rooks
South-westerly gusts kick up
leaves not yet ready to drop.
Rains seeps into the cuffs of my coat
Autumn glory.”
Episode Information
In this episode I refer to:
John Mazluff and Tony Angell’s (2005) In the Company of Crows and Ravens published by Yale University Press.
Jennifer Ackerman’s (2020) The Bird Way: A new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent and eat. Penguin Press.
To hear Amada and Wayne (NB Aecern aka NB Wanabees) interview on great ‘The Silver Fox Sessions’ podcast: 5. You Know What? Anything Can Happen! Newbie Narrowboaters Wayne and Amanda
General Details
In the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org.
Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.
Piano interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.
All other audio recorded on site.
Contact
For pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]
Become a 'Lock-Wheeler'
Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.
Contact
- Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social
- Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw
I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters
You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.
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