“I always leave space for things to happen.”
Yazz Ahmed
When I arrived the first sound I heard on getting out of the car was that of a cuckoo.
It was coming from a southeasterly direction, over my right shoulder, from what appeared to be thick woodland, but which I later discovered was more scrubland; hawthorn, blackthorn, dogrose, with some ash all in the mix.
The cuckoo call was so clear I was convinced it was within touching distance, but as I have learned from
’s The Curious Life of the Cuckoo,“The ‘two-fold shout’ is distinctly audible at distances greater than a mile.” - John Lewis-Stempel
So it was likely some distance away.
What brought me to this 150-hectare site, however, was not the cuckoo, but another bird, the nightingale, a bird whose song is so infamous, yet one that I had never before heard.
I was also drawn here, along with around 25 others, by the musician Sam Lee, and the charitable organisation Singing With Nightingales, for an evening of music, good food, fires, and (hopefully!) nightingales.
During the night we were told that a recent survey of this particular site recorded around 35 nightingales. To me, that didn’t sound very many, but I learned that it is indeed a very sizable number for just one site and represents a significant proportion of the ever-dwindling UK nightingale population.
After the sun had set, with full bellies and the fires we’d been huddled around for the past hour or so settling to a gentle glow, our group gathered up. Woolly hats were pulled down, though ensuring our ears were still open to nighttime sounds, and with collars stiffened against the encroaching cold, we walked in silence, single file, and in pitch darkness.
Before we set off Sam recited Wendell Berry’s poem, To Know The Dark, one that I knew well but appreciated even more on this night, especially as we crossed the threshold from fire to forest.
“To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.”
Even with a crystal-clear sky, the path through the wood was surprisingly dark and I was careful as to where I placed my feet.
Walking in the dark was a timely reminder, that darkness slows. It amplifies our senses and it brings us back into our bodies. I found it utterly enlivening.
As we arrived at our destination, the group began to sit, again in complete silence, on the cold ground. I was again immensely grateful for my knitted jumper and hat because I suddenly felt the forest’s chill even more.
Now, I couldn’t see what our sit spot looked like, but in my imagination and now in my memory, it was a green glade, in the centre of England’s thickest, most ancient forests. There was oak, copper beach and a clear woodland stream. I was deep into the timeless mysteries.
And suddenly I was alone, a solitary pilgrim travelling the nighttime lanes, hunkered down for the night, and with my horse safely tied to a sturdy trunk.
Stillness fell.
And Stillness
Fell.
Looking up into the inky blue of the night sky I immediately recognised Ursa Major and the “Big Dipper”, and as I stared in wonder, there was, for sure, a shooting star.
As I tuned in to my surroundings I began to notice that the woodland was alive with bird song; alive with dark wings. And the bird I had never before heard was in fine fettle.
It was truly astonishing.
What was even more extraordinary was when Sam and this evening’s guest musician, Yazz Ahmed, started playing and singing and how the nightingales’ singing seemed to change in response to the music they were hearing.
Yazz’s trumpet playing, with that space left between the notes for something unexpected to arrive, was indeed met, in a kind of call-and-response pattern, by the liquid song of the nightingale.
What unfolded right before my ears, appeared to be an ancient, forested conversation between trumpeter and nightingale. Talk about being opened up to the mysteries!
When I finally closed the door on my car to drive home I glanced at my watch. It was twenty-to-one in the morning. A new day would soon be dawning.
And I drove home that night in complete silence, partly to stay concentrated on the narrow cross-country lanes, but also because the sound of the nightingale, still, has not left my ears.
May it remain until the next time.
1. Listening: Yazz Ahmed
I’m so glad to have discovered the music of British-Bahraini jazz musician and composer, Yazz Ahmed.
You can discover more about her below and here.
2. Writing: Wearingeul Monthly World Literature Fountain Pen Ink 30ml
Check out these fabulous fountain pen inks!
44 different inks, all inspired by great writers and their literary masterpieces.
I love a great sea journey, so I have my eyes on this blue, named after Herman Melville’s classic, ‘Moby-Dick (Or, The Whale)’.
3. Reading: Earth House
When I ordered this I didn’t realise it was a book of poems, but I’m pleased that it is!
I’ve only dipped in, but I highly recommend it.
Here’s an excerpt from ‘Hedge Bird’:
“You’re almost home. You’ve been numb a long time. You didn't see the daylight slip out, nor the fieldfares raiding the windfalls;"
4. Inspiring: A reading list from the Great Mother Conference 2025
I hope, in the future, to attend this conference on the “mythopoetic imagination”.
In the meantime, I’m making do with the inspiration found in this year’s recommended reading, the list can be found here.
UPCOMING:
As mentioned previously I am co-hosting some free online circles for men, and the last one for a while is coming up on Friday, June 13th, 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm UK time.
If you would like to join our little group, you are so very welcome: please email me for the Zoom link. Will@thewilljohnsonjourney.com
Thank you for supporting my work here at Fenland Musing and The Will Johnson Journey more generally, it is greatly appreciated.
Fenland Musings will always be free to read, but if you feel it’s worth it, and have the financial means to do so, please consider a paid subscription. Even a month or two makes a big difference to me.
An Invitation: The Rose & The Wren, A Mythopoetic Journey for Men
Our group is filling up - which is a great joy! We would love two or three more men to sign up so I am putting the welcome mat down again!
All the details here or get in touch for a chat, Will@thewilljohnsonjourney.com
Take a Courageous Step…
If you would like to book a chat with me, you can use the link below, I would love to hear from you!
Fenland Musings will always be free to read, but if my writing efforts have helped or touched you in some way, please consider taking out a paid subscription - even a month or two would make a huge difference to me. And I appreciate we live in tough times, so your support is deeply appreciated!
My dear, Will, it's always a pleasure to receive your Musings and to hear your voice. I love the timbre and the poetic sensibility and the links you share. Take care, Ju
So utterly delighted for your time in the dark with the nightingales Will ✨✨✨