Remnants
A downy feather, a stray seed
A fleck of shell, like a paint chip,
Sky blue on one side, cloud white on the other.
Small twigs, dried grass,
A sprig of yarn snipped off of a finished project.
From this fragile start, a strong home is built.
The spiny leaves of the holly,
Within which the home rests,
Create a fortress to protect fragile new life.
Patience, warmth and care
Coax the infant to emerge
Wet and blind to face the world.
How frightening the first moments must be,
Alone, exposed, unfamiliar,
Totally dependent on another being.
The fortress keeps the world at bay
While the guardian feeds and warms
The tiny new babe.
It grows stronger, hungrier
More confident and curious
Feathers replace fluff and the stage is set.
On a sunny afternoon the mother returns
To find the youngster, no longer a babe,
Has stretched its wings and taken flight.
There is no trace of the path taken
No assurance of safety or security.
Just the remnants of the life that started there.
A downy feather, a stray seed,
A fleck of shell, like a paint chip,
Sky blue on one side, cloud white on the other.
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