My eyes following

     until the bird was lost at sea

     found a small island

                  Haiku by Matsuo Basho, b.1644

Master poet Matsuo Basho wrote this Haiku almost 400‭ ‬years ago‭. ‬He writes of watching a bird at sea‭, ‬and the appearance of an‭ ‬island‭. ‬

Midway‭ ‬is a meditation necklace for the birds of Midway Island‭. ‬Just a tiny island in the Pacific‭...‬halfway between Japan and Canada’s West Coast‭. ‬Midway is one of the most remote locations on the planet‭. ‬On this small island a symbolic environmental tragedy is occurring‭. ‬Tens of thousands of birds are dying because they mistake the tons of colourful plastic washing ashore as food‭. ‬The sheer quantities of plastic washing up on Midway has become a travesty‭. ‬Chris Jordan photographer for the Midway project has‭ ‬said‭ ‬‘the life and death of these birds has become a metaphor for our times’‭. ‬

This particular necklace is dedicated to the very short life of one baby bird‭. ‬This little albatross was found on Midway with over 200‭ ‬pieces of plastic lodged in its small skeleton‭. ‬On the black‭, ‬beaded strand there are exactly 200‭ ‬old‭, ‬black‭, ‬plastic beads‭...‬one for each piece of plastic found inside the skeleton of that baby bird‭. ‬I offer these beads not for mourning‭, ‬but for‭ ‬meditation‭, ‬solution and action‭. ‬At midway point is an old red plastic button‭, ‬worn smooth with use‭. ‬Consider it a meditation on‭ ‬a halfway place‭. ‬The second necklace holds a silver‭ ‬medal‭ ‬on a steel chain‭. ‬The medal contains an image honouring our baby bird‭. ‬

These black beads were scavenged from an ornate piece of costume jewelry‭. ‬Discarded and scattered‭, ‬these beads might eventually‭ ‬have made their way to the enormous Pacific garbage patch and then on to Midway‭. ‬Now with your help‭, ‬they might bring a solution‭...‬one bead at a time‭. ‬

Vintage silver spoon‭, ‬silver bird earring‭, ‬steel chain‭, ‬plastic button‭, ‬cotton thread‭, ‬steel key‭.