Defining Moment

All summer long I’ve heard a song lulling me to sleep at night.
When the Blue Moon came along, I heard the lightening crack.
Thunder rolling in the distance, I thought I’d step outside.
I opened up my front door, and, ah, found a great surprise.
There, quite emboldened at my feet, I heard the sweetest little tweet.
It took a moment to realize, this baby bird was learning flight.
But he hadn’t yet learned the knack, and he just looked at me in shock.
I heard his mother’s searching plea and from on her perch she eyeballed me.
A moment stood quite still in time. Just for that moment we were fine.

But at the window peering out, my loud–mouthed dog gave a shout.
Poor little bird, scared to death, and mommy tweeting, “Run for your life.”
The baby mockingbird ran off and under the gate into the garden.
Mother Mockingbird then flew, atop my mailbox, still in view,
Cheeping to her baby bird, “Fly now dear, I’ve faith in you.”
Low and behold, before my eyes, that baby bird began to fly.
Mind you, not quite way up high but he made it to the shrubs.
Now mama bird decides to move to coax her baby from the woods.
She raises cheeps to higher ground, encouraging chirps now abound.

At that point, and at that time, I knew that I had to resign and
Go back inside the house again, for thunder roared, and there was rain.
And when some things are watched too closely, we never see the change.
This morning when I checked the mail I looked for mockingbird so frail.
There were no feathers anywhere.The baby bird was no more there.
I felt joy and I felt hope, the little one had flown the coupe!

Tonight I hear mockingbirds sing and I’m thinking of this precious thing.
I’m awed by timing of a storm; awed by the timing of lessons learned;
Awed by a need that called in me to step outside the door
To see
The thing that I had seen --
The moment
That defined his being.