Where the Birds Sing

WHERE THE BIRDS SING is the sixth volume of poetry written by Frances Sydnor Tehie (1926-2003). The poems in this volume have been edited by Frances's daughter, Dr. Janice B. Tehie, and Frances's lifelong friend, Dorothy Jeanne McIlvaine. Writing poetry since the age of 17, Frances was widely hailed as a "lyrical" poet during her lifetime, winning over 65 awards in national poetry contests during her lifetime. A keen observer of nature, she possessed the ability to find beauty and song in everyday events including the singing of birds, the setting of the sun and the changing of the seasons. Her poems have been published in ORPHEUS LUTE, FAMILY CIRCLE, THE LYRIC, and WOMAN'S DAY, among others. The poems in WHERE THE BIRDS SING are a testament to Frances's ability to find the beauty and song in nature. Poems such as "The Swallow's House" portray the music to be found in a swallow soaring over thatched-roofed buildings in Rye, Sussex England. The theme of music is reiterated in the voices she hears when listening to sea-winds blow, in the poem "Wind Song." The poems in this collection show that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, and that sometimes, as in "A New Beginning," just when life appears to be at its darkest, moments of hope are found in the music of nature.