Nancy L. Meek

YEARNING TO FLY

She wanted nothing more
Than to be free of her gilded bars
Which held her ever captive
As beauty beneath old scars

One fragile wing was broken
In an effort to finally escape
Then she almost strangled when
The door slammed on her nape

Day in, day out, her one good wing
Beat frantically against the wire
That is, when she wasn’t pacing
Along her claw-worn perch in ire

Her lustrous feathers grew duller
With each passing fruitless hour
Tunes she used to sing with glee
Suddenly sounded worse than sour

On-lookers gawked pitilessly
Berating her every antic
Which only made her madder
Increasing her overwhelming panic

Didn’t anyone care if she was lonely
Yearning only to be set free
Longingly staring through the window
At the others singing in a tree

She plucked her feathers, one-by-one
Frustration taking its horrible toll
It wasn’t long before she was bald
And in addition, now she was cold

How much more could one bird take
As beak-to-bar, she desperately clings
Unable to cope in her gilded cage
Unable to spread her wings

One day, her plaintive cries were noticed
When a sympathetic soul saw her there
Her damaged wing dragging the floor
The other, though listless, still beating the air

How could he simply walk away
When it was so very plain to see
If something wasn’t done soon for her
She would surely die, still trying to get free?

With true compassion, he drew closer
Surveying the damage done
His heart and soul now captured
Her pain and his becoming one

He opened the door ever so slowly
So as not to startle her even more
Wearing the kindest look he could muster
He lay his hand, palm-up, inside the door

Her fragile heart beat even faster
Unsure of this stranger’s plan
Struggling, she backed into the corner
Her gaping beak aimed at his advancing hand

With amazing patience, he paused
Hoping her fear would soon subside
Hoping his tender words of endearment
Would melt her resistance to go for a ride

He tried to entice her with music
Treating her to tune after tune
His husky tenor voice resounding
With melodies she used to croon

She tilted her bald head, listening
Intrigued at the lyrics he sang
Marveling at each new rendition
And on every note she would hang

The portal, too, beckoned to her there
Sweet freedom whispering her name
The open door… the open palm… she stepped up
Unaware things would never be the same

The days ahead were filled with healing
Dealing with wounds with loving care
Holding her close to his heart
He preened her, old fluff flying everywhere

He provided the food she needed
Feeding her ‘til she was healthy and strong
All the while, both feeling that somehow
They were destined to meet all along

Before too long, her wing was like new
And soon she was soaring like never before
Her throat trilling much sweeter tunes
Her old sour notes being heard no more

Her feathers took on a more beautiful shine
From the gentle stroking done by her friend
The soft warmth of his polished hands
Causing a glow which never seemed to end

Enthralled with her innermost beauty
He complimented her left and right
Telling her how proud he felt
That he had helped her return to flight

He confessed to her that he was envious
Of her effortless ability to soar so high
With her wing now even stronger,
Watching her in awe, he released a sigh

Instinctively, she was aware of his yearning
As true friends somehow seem to do
So, she told him she could teach him
And soon he would be soaring, too

He told her that others had tried before
But failed with their every attempt
Causing him to become more skeptical
Believing from the sky, he’d always be exempt

Have patience… all is not lost, came her reply
And with faith, anything is conceivable
So, he held onto his hope a little longer
That his dream just might become believable

Each morning found them together
With her perched on his shoulder there
Taking long walks in any kind of weather
Talking, laughing, singing, heading who knows where

Fair weather days brought lessons
In teaching him how to fly
She told him he must have faith
And one day he’d touch the sky

Fervently he prayed, unceasingly
As she cheered him on in song
Then one day, the unbelievable happened
Wings appeared where arms used to belong

Soon, covered in snow white feathers
He flapped his wings in glee
His prayers had finally been granted
His new-found faith had set him free

No longer did his worries hound him
Hope was in his heart at last
Heaven somehow seemed closer
And he held on to the vision fast

They pushed off into the sky together
Heading for an ocean of blue
Flying high o’er a sea of diamonds
Soon becoming one with the view

It is said you can still see them up there
Where earthly affairs are immaterial
Soaring over a rainbow somewhere
Two diamonds in the sky ethereal