Bird Stealing Bread

Most of my blog posts, lately, have been about visual images. They are an attempt to bring words to a visual metaphor, and to explore its possibilities. But words themselves can generate imagery, and not merely describe it.

Today I was listening to Bird Stealing Bread by Iron and Wine, and I was stuck by the potency of some of the metaphors and the suggestiveness of the imagery. In particular, the way that Sam Beam plays with different aspects of the bird image is quite wonderful. Just to warn you, it is a sad song, and it is definitely worth the time. So I thought I would post the lyrics and encourage to you go to the Iron and Wine website and have a listen:

Tell me, baby, tell me
Are you still on the stoop
Watching the windows close?
I've not seen you lately
On the street by the beach
Or places we used to go

I've a picture of you
On our favorite day
By the seaside
There's a bird stealing bread
That I brought
Out from under my nose

Tell me, baby, tell me
Does his company make
Light of a rainy day?
How I've missed you lately
And the way we would speak
And all that we wouldn't say

Do his hands in your hair
Feel a lot like a thing
You believe in
Or a bit like a bird
Stealing bread
Out from under your nose?

Tell me, baby, tell me
Do you carry the words
Around like a key or change?
I've been thinking lately
Of a night on the stoop
And all that we wouldn't say

If I see you again
On the street by the beach
In the evening
Will you fly like a bird
Stealing bread
Out from under my nose?