The Blue Bird

I once saw the most beautiful bird, its feathers were so blue that the sky looked pale in comparison, no ink or dye could match the color of this little bird. Its feathers shone with the brilliance of heaven and I didn’t believe that this bird could be any more beautiful, any more wonderful and then the bird sang. Within the notes of this birds song was every song that I have ever heard. It was both lovely and sad, cheerful and dark. When I heard this bird sing I felt whole, peaceful, lonely and afraid. Every emotion known to me I felt in the notes of its song. I both loved and hated this bird. I loved it for the way it made me feel and hated it for the same reason. Then something happened that I never expected, the bird came and landed on my shoulder, and sing into my ear. I reached up and took the bird from my shoulder, cupping it in my hands; I was going to keep this bird forever. I held onto the bird for such a long time. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and finally years had gone by. I pulled the bird out to look at its beauty, to see the golden light perspiring from its feathers, but most of all to hear it sing. But now the birds feathers were no longer radiant, the room seemed to dark because of the birds presence,  no longer did it radiate light and worst of all when the bird sang it filled my heart with dread and only dread. It was then that I was enlightened to the error of my ways. I had done this, I took the beauty and wonder of this bird for myself and stole it away from the world. I had hidden this bird away from all who may have witnessed its glory. It was then that I knew I had to let this bird go. It was not mine to keep, only to lock away its memory in my heart.