The Wren

Monday was warm, even fairly early in the day. Sun shown through the bare branches of the few trees that dotted the parking lot of the shopping center that housed Brueggers Bagels in North Raleigh.

We sat at the table beside the big plate glass window in the front of the bagel shop. A little brown wren caught our eyes as he stood on the sidewalk watching the world go by.

He stood there as cars pulled into parking spaces. He stood there as people passed by. He even stood there when a man walked his dog (on a leach) just a couple of feet from him.

His head turned from side to side as taking it all in. He watched the people, the dog and the other birds. He didn’t seem phased by all the hustle around him.

This was his place and his time. The wren would duck under a sidewalk table from time to time to snatch a crumb, but for the most part, he just stood watch.

Most of the people didn’t even notice the wren. They were too busy shopping or talking on cell phones, but the wren saw them. And silently, he stood his ground and watched.