For Brian Taylor
An unexpected kingfisher.
I might not have been there
in the hide if it wasn’t for you,
your teachings on the agency of birds,
the transformations of souls,
auspices of sapphire-blue.
The sad news was unexpected too.
It took me back to our brief meetings:
how you always wore binoculars,
showed me my first goosander.
I thought I’d never see a kingfisher
let alone a halcyon wonder so close
whistling from branch to branch.
You’d have called it ‘a showing’.
I e-mailed you to share the news.
Another e-mail flash from the blue
jolts me back to your careful records
on alcedo atthis and ‘the best views’.
You wrote of death with such beauty
citing Ovid’s resurrection of Alcyone:
a kingfisher in flight – ‘a departing light’.
Brian Taylor, a dedicated animist and the author of Animist Jottings, passed away on the 13th of February. I was particularly moved by Brian’s writings on kingfishers and admired his advocation of an animism deeply rooted in the natural world that had room for magical encounters and the otherworldly too. Although we only met in person a few times (most memorably when he came to Penwortham and pointed out a goosander on the Ribble and when we visited Bridestones and marvelled at the expressions of the rocks and the flying ants) we shared many fruitful conversations in the blogosphere and through e-mail. Brian was one of the wisest, most caring, thoughtful, and articulate people I have ever met. He will be missed.

Brian Taylor and myself at Bridestones, September 5th, 2014
I am so sorry to learn of Brian’s death! I will light a candle for him and pray for his journey as well as for his family. His was a gentle voice and inspiring presence, even though we only communicated online, whether about polytheism or astrology. May he be warmly welcomed into the halls of his ancestors: Hail, the Traveler!
Sad news indeed.
I followed his blog and often noted his comments on yours.
Kingfishers, in the way that they are sometimes seen as brief flashes of colour as they catch the sunlight, reflect also our brief mortality. But are gathered too in memory as we are all gathered when the time comes to find new ways of being.
I followed Brian’s blog and found his writings insightful and profound. Although I did not know him and never met him, I will miss his blogged presence. May his onward journey be filled with wonder and adventure, and may his family find solace in the quiet impression and impact he made on people he never knew.
Thank you for sharing this and the link to his blog. What a treasure trove! I’m sorry to hear of his passing and your loss. But his writings seem like a gift to the world (from the one post I’ve read so far)
Yes, Brian’s works are a treasure trove. I’m glad to have helped you discover them. Do pass the link to Animist Jottings on.