Avian Companions

 

Poems and Stories

 


 

Some Sobering Thoughts


"Tears"He sits alone huddled in a cramped dirty cage.
He did not choose to be here, at one time he had freedom.
That was long ago, in his book of life a long gone page.
He had a full life, trees, the wind under his wings pools of water, flocks of friends, he was a king once, long ago in his home land far away.
He was captured one day, in a net, now he's here to stay never again to be free, to fly, to have companionship, or to explore.
The smugglers resigned him to his fate, evermore.
He has had many homes, after sitting unwanted months in a pet store.
They bought him for his beauty, but they all failed to recognize the beauty inside.
He preens his dull shabby feathers, he can hardly move them for in the small cage his wings are too wide.
He looks dully around him from all hope removed eyes.
He gives up on a home that will love and care for him, and where they would talk about him with pride.
He looks listlessly at the cup of dirty water and the dirty sunflower seeds, crawling with moths inside.
He longs for a home that will love him, and give him a nice roomy cage.
Long ago his hope faded, and depression replaced his rage.
He longed for toys, bright colors, and space, fresh fruit and vegetables too.
He would try so hard to be good, if they just gave him a chance he would show them he was loveable, smart, and a beauty he could preen his feathers like new.
Through no fault of his own he was here, in a pet store once again.
No one had made the committment, or taken the responsibility which was not his sin.
They grew tired of having a parrot, their unreasonable expectations, he could not live up to.
Instead of loving him for what he was and making him a family member true, they dumped him in a store, to exist in misery through no fault of his own.
It was on this Thanksgiving day he gave up hope of having a family.
He was sick and it was left untreated, he could hardly breathe.
Depressed and without hope, despondent as could be, he closed his eyes one last time and off to freedom he flew to have a flock of friends, companionship at last.
His dreams were finally realized and this in his heart he knew, no one could take it away.
This time it was permanent.
He found his final peace, his eluding happiness, yes, this time he was truly and forever for all eternity, free to fly the heavens, to finally find the love that surrounded him, coming from above.

PLIGHT OF THE PARROT

The Rainforest where we once lived
was lush and thick and green
The trees they reached into the sky
like none that most have seen.
.
And in the tree's a hollow spot
is where we both would go,
For in the hollow, we would lay
our eggs as white as snow.
.
The forest it had plenty
of food for us to eat
And water holes where animals
would play and swim and meet.
.
One day as I was in my log
I heard an awful sound,
I flew out to the lookout branch
to see what lurked around.
.
A human with his nets and gloves,
machete and a sack,
Had come to steal our chicks from us,
Oh how I want them back.
.
And when he took our little chicks
I heard a piercing cry,
He dropped my chick from up above,
I had to watch him die.
.
And when he left, we went to see
our hollow and our nest
Our family was gone you see,
our place where we would rest.
.
The village man, he walked for miles
through forest thick and green,
The babies cried inside the bag,
it hurt to hear them scream.
.
Into the village with the bag
the merchants came to see,
When opened up a single chick
is all that there would be.
.
On the bottom lay my chick
his body limp and frail,
His eyes sunk in, his wrinkled skin,
no longer would he wail.
.
The thunders coming closer
the tree shakes from the ground,
Branches flying everywhere
our home is falling down.
.
I fly away and then I see
my mate is no where near,
I search above the tree tops
no calls for me to hear.
.
And on the ground my lifelong mate
lies still as still can be,
And we will never mate again
and never will be three.
.
And all the trees where we once lived
are gone forever now,
For roads and pastures take their place
and ranchers with their cows.
.
Our food supply has dwindled
our water hole is gone,
No place to rest my tired wings
Dear mate it won't be long.
.
Soon you will not see us
in the forest if you look,
The library is where we'll be
inside a picture book.
.
So won't you tell your children
of the parrots you once knew,
And rest your head at night with ease
Knowing, you did all that you could do.
.
Copyright 1996, Terri L Doe

"Under Gods Wings"

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park,
Forest Rangers began their trek up a mountain
to assess the inferno's damage. One Ranger
found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched
statuesquely on the ground at the base of a
tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight,
he knocked over the bird with a stick. When
he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from
under their dead mothers wings. The Loving
Mother, keenly aware of impending disaster,
had carried her offspring to the base of the
tree and had gathered them under her wings,
instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke
would rise. She could have flown to safety
but had refused to abandon her babies. When
the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched
her small body, the Mother had remained
steadfast. Because she had been willing to
die, those under the cover of her wings would
live.
Copyright 2010 Avian Companions

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