-- FEATHERS FROM MY WING --

By John Herlihy

I soared above and below on high,

Without fully realizing I could fly.

I could feel the wind lift me aloft,

Imagine this with feathers so soft.

One day a feather fell from my wing,

Skipping a beat as my heart did sing.

A piece of myself seemed stolen away,

But I am still noble, a spirited blue-jay.

Through wind of wings my body did soar,

The voice of the wind uttered a lion’s roar.

Surveyed the land below with a laser eye,

In the garden far below, I see a butterfly.

Another day, a feather of my wing did fall;

With very little care, I took no notice at all.

Freedom preceded me as I took my stride,

The earth at my feel, with nothing to hide.

Then, I found yet another feather missing;

Finally, I began to realize a mixed blessing.

My heart beats, my wings still provide lift,

Still there as God’s blessing, a divine gift.

On subsequent days, more feathers lost,

One by one they fell away at increasing cost.

We seldom appreciate what we one day lose,

A gift taken away we thought we did choose.

Over time, the feathers gathered in a lone tree

For its withered branches, I felt a close affinity

In the harshness of winter, the soft feathers blue

Calling into question what the winter season knew

We can’t take back what has already been done

But we can take forward what has not yet begun

In giving up the feathers, the aging bird built a tree

Under its budding feathers, he will lie for all eternity

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(c) John Herlihy 3 February 2019