Robin
Walking through a path of unknown;
Blinded by a sunrise that was just born;
Lost in deep thought -
Until a bird, my soul it caught.
“Tweet - tweet,” it chirped.
Turning around in great amazement, I asked the little bird, “What’s your name?”
“Tweet-tweet,” it started to whisper softly.
I laughed.
Then, I thought to myself, “How can a bird speak the same language as I do? He’s not really talking to me, or is he?”
I finally got a hold of myself, then I lost it completely. I must be going crazy. Here I am trying to talk to a bird. A silly little bird!
Again, I laughed.
“Tweet-tweet, my name is Robin,” the little fellow chirped out.
As I was looking elsewhere, I turned my head around in great astonishment to my newly found friend. At first, I did not know what to say, “My name is Billy.”
But then, I wondered some more.
By now my illusions of being insane had vanished, so I asked my little buddy, “Why do you fly in these parts, especially today when the winds are so strong?”
My little Robin replied, “I was flying so high but really looking for a place to rest. Then suddenly, I saw you - somewhat appearing so lonely and sad - so I decided to rest near your side. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Oh, no!” I answered.
“Anyhow, the winds were getting so bad that I had to escape them and take refuge,” my Robin added.
There was a moment of silence.
Then, a deep thought caught my attention. There was no escaping my curiosity but by simply asking my new friend what was on my mind.
“It must give you great joy to fly so freely,” said I.
“Yes. But, there is a drawback to all of this joy,” replied my little Robin.
“To fly is also to be lonely.”
I became puzzled.
My little bird continued, “When you find yourself up in the air - you see, that’s it - just you and the air beside and all around you. It can get very lonely up there in the sky, except for those sometimes-special moments when you stumble upon a newly found friend like you.”
Robin’s chirps went on with glee, “Then things seem to get brighter, but suddenly - let me tell you, once again - it can get lonely up there.”
This, my little friend had explained to me about flying.
“Do you really think so?” I asked.
“But still, it must give you great joy to fly. I’m sure. You must be free. So free, I can’t even imagine. Can you teach me how to fly?”
“Okay,” said my little Robin.
“But have in mind that should you learn how to fly, perhaps you might never return to your original state. Don’t forget that freedom isn’t cracked-up to what it is supposed to be. It sure can get lonely up there.”
“Oh, little Robin, please teach me.
Teach me how to fly. Teach me how to be free.
Teach me.”
So, the Robin taught Billy how to fly.
They flew so high into the great blue sky.
And no-one ever saw the little boy ever again
Except for a note nearby a stem,
“I have chosen to fly and to be free. Please let me be!”