Sinead O’Connor A taste of the tale of ‘A Hummingbird’s Heart’

60 a hummingbird's heart

EXCERPT FROM GRACE HARTE’S NEW BOOK: A HUMMINGBIRD’S HEART.

When Elizabeth approached the forest’s edge, the organic scent was strong and pungent. A squirrel scurried up one of the protectors of the forest, an umberbrown tower. The sun directed its light between branches onto wild garlic and red berries. Luminous moss glistened over thick mahogany trunks. Birds welcomed her into their haven, the chirping getting louder. They sounded giddy. She stood still to take it all in. The forest moved in a gentle sway. A strong gust of wind swirled through treetops, carrying her attention with it.

“Eliiiizaaabeth,” the wind spoke. She jumped. The swarm of butterflies flew in circles around her and toward the voice. She followed them, around the hawthorn, past the oak. In the distance a woman stood beside a silver birch. She lifted her arms and held them wide open, like she was speaking to the magnificent collection of light rays that beamed directly onto her face. Elizabeth hid behind an elm. When she squinted she noticed a halo of faint yellow light surrounded the woman. She looked worried, like she was resisting something, and moved her hands to her rounded belly in a protective way. Elizabeth couldn’t believe her eyes, but the woman floated off the ground and into the trunk of the tree. The bark moved like lava and took her into its being. It was only for a few seconds, but Elizabeth could have sworn on all the angels in heaven that the person in front of her had disappeared. She shook her head and questioned if she had imagined it or if she was experiencing some kind of flashback from earlier LSD-induced days. Maybe all the chanting and meditating and ecstatic dancing had activated visions. She tried to step away from the tree, struggling to pull her feet off the ground, but she couldn’t move. A few moments later, with no warning from her feet that they were free, she catapulted herself onto the grassy mound.

“Oh my, oh my. Are you OK?” She lifted her head to see a pair of Birkenstocks with a bunion big toe and the hem of a patterned skirt make their way toward her. “Are you OK?” It was Suzanna, the owner of the Golden Mind Retreat, with a flustered motherly tone. She helped Elizabeth up.

“Yes, thank you. I’m fine. I tripped,” Elizabeth said, feeling embarrassed.

“Tripped? I thought I saw you throw yourself on the ground.”

“Throw myself? Oh, that’s funny.” Elizabeth brushed soil off her legs. “Of course not. I tripped over a root.” Suzanna eyed her suspiciously. “A root?” She looked at the ground. “There is no root there. Are you sure you’re OK?”

“Yes, yes. Thank you, I’m fine.” Elizabeth pressed her fingers into her hot cheeks. “Just embarrassed.” “Oh don’t be,” Suzanna said, pulling her long white hair off her face, “I trip over roots all the time.” Elizabeth giggled. “Suzanna, who is the woman over there, with the scarf around her head?” Suzanna followed Elizabeth’s eyes. “Oh, yes, that’s Marianna. She lives here.” “Oh, I hadn’t seen her before today. Has she just arrived?” “No, no. She’s been here for a while. She keeps to herself, the quiet type. One never knows if she’ll appear and join in the activities or not. She’s been in silence for twenty days.” “Twenty days? Are you kidding me?” As Elizabeth and Suzanna reached the parting between the two willow trees, she looked back over her shoulder. Marianna was sitting against the hawthorn, her eyes fixed on Elizabeth. A smile beamed across her face. A wave of calm swept over Elizabeth’s body. Time paused. Elizabeth, it’s time, a voice said inside her mind.

A Hummingbird’s Heart is available now on Amazon KDP, Ebook and Paperback.

“Maybe all the chanting and meditating and ecstatic dancing had activated visions. She tried to step away from the tree, struggling to pull her feet off the ground, but she couldn’t move… ”

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