It’s not uncommon for human beings to want to fly. I know we’ve partially met that desire through technology by inventing machines which can fly, but we can’t fly the way a bird can fly. We can’t just leap up and head off into the blue mountains. We can’t soar above the forests and the oceans. But we imagine it would be pretty great if we could.
I think flying like a bird represents freedom for us. It’s a freedom of movement which lies only in our imagination.
Of course, we say “flights of imagination”, or “flights of fancy” too, don’t we? Because our imagination has less boundaries than our bodies do. There’s that additional element to flight – not just a freedom of movement, but an ability to go beyond limits, beyond invisible borders created by people to keep other people away, or to attempt to control human beings, preventing them from doing what humans have always done – move freely across the face of the Earth, or at least, dream of moving freely. Don’t we also talk about “spreading his wings” when we want to say someone is developing, growing, expanding their horizons?
The posture of this sculpture is one we all recognise. When we want to feel a sense of freedom, we stretch out our arms, opening ourselves wide to the world. But we can’t take off, the way the bird is taking off.
Have you ever wondered why angels have wings? As far as I know, nobody imagines angels as having scales, fins or a tail. Even though fish have a freedom of the oceans just as great as the freedom of the skies enjoyed by birds, we don’t really say “I’d like to be as free as a fish”. We say “I’d like to be as free as a bird”.
I really enjoy the sights and sounds of the birds when I’m in my garden. I saw the little redstart yesterday. He’s just arrived back from his winter travels, and I also heard a hoopoe calling all day long. And the Celandine has flowered in the garden, it bright yellow petals telling me it’s time for the swallows to arrive. (I’ve only seen one so far)
Birds connect us with greater dimensions of nature. They connect us to the rhythm of the seasons. They remind us, with their migratory patterns, that Life inhabits this whole planet. But I think they also connect us to what is more than merely material in this world. They connect us to a sense of spirit, to something “higher” or “greater” than us. They inspire us, and awaken a sense of wonder and amazement, don’t you think?
Heroes Not Zombies 