Once upon a time there was a baby bird
Born into a tiny nest in a teal tree
She flapped her wings as she grew
And marveled at the colorful feathers
Growing underneath her baby wingspan
When the sun rose each day
She played and chirped in her nest
All day, everyday, playtime
Until the sun went down again
Pure joy, song and dance
When the time came to jump from the nest
She perched on the edge of the twigs
Looking out into the exciting world below
But there were so many vultures circling
Frightened, she tucked in her wings
Each day, she perched again
Longing for that first attempt at flight
But the vultures swirled overhead
And she retreated into the nest
And forgot all about playtime
As this went on each day
With her wings tucked into her sides
The swirling vultures became the hum of life
She forgot all about the colorful feathers
And life slowly turned to gray
One day a few young birds flew into her tree
And sat around her nest in a circle
“I’m afraid,” she said
“We’re afraid too, sometimes,” they said
She smiled and felt warmed
So she felt ready to try again
She spread her wings as far as she could
And remembered the color beneath the gray
She looked up at the vultures around her
And chose to let them go on their way
Her new friends waited patiently
And she heard a small voice:
Colorful young bird
You belong in a world of color
Out of this gray and still place
But to leave this gray behind
You have to jump
And test your new wings
I know you are afraid
But you cannot stay here
So spread your wings
And take flight
I’ve been waiting for you
The end (that is just a beginning)
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