THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

We discovered her this morning…as we walked along the street

A tiny bird with a spot of yellow…lying at our feet.

Deborah bent down and picked her up…not a feather disturbed on her head…

no indication whatsoever as to why she might be dead…

We immediately looked skyward…our eyes wandering into a nearby tree

as we searched for any semblance of her friends or family.

But the air above was silent…not another bird in sight

no way of knowing how this tiny bird…had come to lose her flight.

Yes, we know nature can be erratic…in who she allows to stay alive

those, who today, will perish…and those who will survive.

And we know nature can be cruel…as there’s often no discernible reason why…

this animal gets to live…while this animal has to die.

And we know they’re all connected…life, death, happiness,…sorrow and strife

For this is the nature of nature…this is the circle of life.

But as Deborah gently held this little bird…so beautiful…so petite

It saddened us to think…how her circle was now complete.

And we asked ourselves these questions…had this little bird ever flown?

Was her shortened life a happy one…did she perish all alone?

Deborah carried this little bird all the way home…she was as gentle as can be

and we buried her in our back yard…neath the shade of an old palm tree.

She now returns unto the soil…(from this world she is now gone)

where she will nurture the tree that shades her…

and the circle of life goes on.