Peacocks

Having spent some time in North Carolina, I was able to observe peacocks up close and personal. The male peacock is prettier in color than the female, with emerald green and blue feathers that look like silk. Both love to climb, things like trees, porches, barns, cars. I never knew this about peacocks, especially the part about how they sleep at night. Right about sunset, the peacock will begin to climb the tree, that being the only tree that my friends have in close proximity to their mobile home. You see, they live on property that is surrounded by soybean fields. You cannot see the neighbors from their house. But, surrounding the soybean fields are many trees that seem to be like a perfect backdrop to a beautiful painting with deer ascending through them at sunset, sometimes in groups of seven or eight at a time. One night, I was taking a walk and I saw a group of deer at the edge of the trees and as the rest of them hopped back into the woods, one deer stayed behind and just gandered at me. The ears come up and the eyes pierce you, as they have such a sweet innocent look about them. I went a little further and then I looked back and he was still looking. And I wondered about it. What must he be thinking, I thought. Then, without any notice, he danced back into the woods and I saw this beautiful white tail bouncing up into the air. And I stood there in silence. And I thought about the scripture, “As the deer panteth o’er the water so my soul longeth after thee.” And I headed on home and I thought about that deer. About the time I rounded the driveway, the peacocks were all perched on their selected branches for the night. I do not understand it, but one sleeps above the other. And all of sudden, the male, who is the “security guard” for the two, let out this loud, “caw” sound because he thought I was trouble. And I looked up at them before I went in, and I thought about all the places they could sleep, but they choose a branch in a tree. About food from the hand, they like bread and crackers I found out early on. They come running for it. And I was determined to touch that gorgeous, long, blue-green tail spread out before my eyes. It became like a game. Birds know when you want to touch their feathers. I kind of had to distract him in order to do it, and he made a run for it. Now, I must tell you about the peacock dance. At certain seasons, it seems, the male peacock will take a liking to the female peacock and begin to court her. He spreads his feathers out and dances in a circle. He will do this for what seems like hours on end. And then sometimes, he will spontaneously just chase her around the yard. In the case of this female peacock, she is not the least bit interested in either maneuver. And I feel sorry for the male peacock because he never tires out and he continues to spin around until you think he will drop from exhaustion. And the female, well she just goes about her business of making him crazy. And then the next day, they come down the tree and the dance begins again. Perhaps, in his perseverance, the male peacock will win the females heart and they will dance together in the tree.
Heartstrings Two, Copyright © 2008 by Library of Congress