This beautiful box was a Christmas present from my mother-in-law.

It was described by the woodworker as

Bison Spirit Box

Black Walnut with Spalting

Birch Tile surrounded by African

Padauk Border.

Friendly Forest Products

Of course I had to think of what to keep in it.

And it had to be special.

Some random magpie feathers,

a red tailed hawk feather given me by my brother-in-law.

He retrieved it from the land he sold us for the cabin we hope to build this summer.

A small rose pebble, a magpie dropped this from a roof next to where I was sitting having coffee.

I am not sure what will be next.

"Once I came back to the leaves just as they were falling

Into the rattling of magpies and the waving flights

Through treetops beyond the long field tawny with stubble"

                                                         Gate

                                                                       W.S. Merwin