Frieda Hughes, poet and painter, has described the profound sense of loss she felt after her rescued magpie, George, flew away. She said it left a 'huge bird-shaped hole' in her life, which she filled by rescuing other birds that could not fly free.
Living in mid-Wales, Hughes explained that the departure of George coincided with the crumbling of her third marriage. To fill the void, she built a large aviary and took in an elderly crow named Oscar, which died after 46 days. The crow's death, she said, linked her to all the other losses in her life, including her mother Sylvia Plath, her father Ted Hughes, and her brother.
Hughes described the grief as so profound that 'it seeped through my veins like a sticky ink'. She found comfort in buying a motorbike, which allowed her to escape from daily obligations and write poetry in cafes. 'To be able to go out on a motorbike is to be free,' she said.
Now, Hughes cares for 13 owls, two rescue huskies, a royal python, six chinchillas, and an aging ferret. She said these animals form her 'little feathered and four-footed family' and provide structure and grounding. 'Ani mals and nature generally are a constant reminder to me of what really matters,' she added.
Reflecting on George, Hughes said the magpie 'kicked my life in a completely different direction' and left her with an unexpected love of birds. 'I never knew that having a magpie would be so much fun,' she noted. Her memoir, George: A Magpie Memoir, recounts their bond.
