journal features

spring is for songbirds

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Toronto, 2011.03.22

One of the beauties of Toronto's late-starting Spring is the return of the song-birds.

On the weekend I spotted a robin while taking Kenny out for a stroll down the boardwalk. Then this morning in the pre-dawn gloom I heard some birds and went back to the bedroom to open the window a crack so that Mari could hear the bird song. It's not something you typically hear in either Tokyo or Miyazaki, where she grew up. She seemed well pleased with the sounds. Of course, it's going to snow tonight and tomorrow, but apparently the robins will tough it out just fine.

rand()m quote

Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

—Hermann Goering