Feathers
by Nell-Lynn Perera in Creative Arts | 6 Comments | Add your comment

Share

I met a bird, yesterday
which I had allowed into my home,
after many days
of closing my doors
whenever it had appeared.

The bird
flew gently in.
There was
something familiar
about it.

It did not seem to care
that I had no food
to offer it,
only fruit and water.
It stayed,
nonetheless.

It flew
and perched itself
on my shoulder.
When it saw
tears streaming down my face,
this morning,
it fluttered its wings
as if
it wanted to wipe
the sadness
it saw, away.

How strange, I thought
for a bird,
to care for me,
when I had nothing
to offer it.

For all my life
I had only
known takers.

At twilight,
I shooed the bird away,
fearing that
it might think
I am its keeper.
For now,
I am unable to
care for it,
as I, struggle
to care for
my own self.

It flew away after
I gave it a peck on its head.
It flew and
it did not look back.

The bird’s presence
had revealed to me

So many
have come and stayed
and then left.
All they ever did,
was to take what they could
even if they left me
with nothing,
that had belonged to me.
They just flew away,
when there was not anything
left to take from me.

This had led me to
distrust birds.

Just another bird.
I thought.

My doors
I shall not shut,
I’ve decided.
For I hope,
to meet that bird again,
or a similar one like him.

Perhaps
one day,
I shall take to the skies
with it,
and it can show me
where it’s home is.

“Birds of a feather flock together”

I’ve obviously been flying
with the wrong birds,
I’ve only
now realized.
Vultures, eagles, seagulls,
Magnificent looking they were.
And captivated I had been
with their beauty
which I’d always later
realize was their only
strength.

Then I met this bird,
which looked like
a cross between
a Dove and a Sparrow,
nothing special, it was,
I thought.

It’s physical beauty,
was not mighty.


However,
it brought me joy,
just by being quiet together.
Something I had never
experienced
when I flew high in the skies
with those
mighty looking ones.
Today,
I realized
that I have been
flying with the wrong flock of birds,
for my feathers,
they do not look like theirs.
They never did.

My feathers,
they looked like his.

ABOUT THE COLUMNIST

Nell-Lynn Perera’s favorite past times are writing proses and painting. Being able to connect with people through them has encouraged her to continue doing both with a growing passion. Many times upon reading her poems or looking at her artwork, people assume that she’s living through what she wrote or painted – not necessarily so. She writes to inspire people mostly, even if it’s through a dark piece of writing or art. In life, she’s realized most things are relative. And everything shall pass. This is the beauty of life.

View Nell-Lynn Perera's Column