a gift from her Father,
a treasured and cherished bird
singing sweetly in his cage
of faraway places
castles in the air
children laughing

at night when he thought she was sleeping
he sang to himself
of unfulfilled dreams
unrequited love
unlikely relief

she took him from his cage
and holding him close to her heart
tried to console him
to comfort him
to make him happy
so he�d sing the songs she wanted to hear

but she held on too tightly
crushing his fragile spirit
suffocating his will to live
slowly destroying the very thing she loved

knowing what she must do
yet hesitating
as if prolonging the inevitable would change it
she took him once more from his cage
holding him close to her heart
a treasured and cherished bird
a gift from her Father
opened her hands and watching him fly away
to God only knows where
whispering
Go...

with my prayers that you�ll be safe
with my hopes that you find what you�re looking for
with my dreams that you will return someday
with my promise to love you even if you don�t.

BACK
2000 �Iris Laureate-all poetry copywrighted
1999 � Sites by Starr
Came to read poetry