Baby Bird

3/11/2008

I came to ask her why the puppies had fought

But saw instead a bird, dead, on a post

She came to me to tell me why

With her pink tie-dye shirt

And blue pants, a few mustard

Stains on front

"He fell out of the tree."

She said so casually

But I could see

There was more she needed to tell

I watched her....waiting

She watched me....and the tears came

"I loved that bird so much..."

She cried

Though I knew she’d

Never seen it before

I let it go

For it was her heart talking

Not her mind

Tears flowed

And I hugged her

Each on our side of the gate

I asked if she’d like to bury him

She nodded yes

We found a nice place in the front

Where I knew the puppies could not dig

Dug the hole

And put him in

Sweet little girl

She thought the stone belonged in the hole

Compassionately corrected

I filled the hole

She placed the stone in the middle

Then grabbing a stick she wrote in the dirt

B.....a.....b.....y

B.....i.....r.....d

She stood now and looked up at me

I pulled her close and she held me tight

Tears flowed like rain down her cheeks

My shirt wet now, but tighter I held

She spoke of her pain

Spoke of her sadness

When she was done

I prayed

"Dear God,

Here lies Baby Bird

Please take him to you

And take away all his pain

And let him be happy

Amen"

I looked to her at the end

And "Amen" she said

When she was ready

We left

Now she is playing outside on her bike

How flighty children can be

But how precious to cry so much

Over little Baby Bird

Whom she’d never met before

If only we adults could feel

As much love for a stranger who died

As a little girl can for a bird she’d never met

What a different world it would be....