Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Housing development

The southeast corner of Heatley and Pender in Strathcona is occupied by an old (1921) Jewish synagogue, a large building finished in grey stucco and tall, secretive windows. It's a quiet building. I have never seen anyone enter or leave; on the park side, lower, barred windows give shadowy glimpses of a plant on an interior balcony, a parked bike. There are three touches of colour on the façade; a layer of red brick at the bottom, terracotta tile roof inserts, and above the main doors, two additional rows of mossy tiles.

I passed the synagogue this morning, coffee in one hand, camera in the other. Even before I turned the corner, I could hear the building calling out, with the insistent voices of many sparrows. I narrowed the source down to those two rows of tiles; each one probably harbours another nest of hungry babies. Hungry and letting the world know about it.

This sparrow (Youngster? Almost adult? Unhappy adult?) was standing alone on a tile, complaining.

"Cheep, cheep!"

1 comment:

  1. great shot with the tiles and touches of moss! lovely!

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