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Folded Wings
She shuttered in like a bird from the south
From an equator away, once the northern winter began failing
And, the words that sprang from her mouth
Were riddled with thaw and shivering
A hint of hope, a glint of tragedy too
As home set in after setting it loose
I thought my quills were built for shaking, she said
As I felt the sky beneath me
My feet, I thought were broken
And the ground, I thought, for leaving
Up here was where people went to breathe, she said
Until, at once, my heart was no longer beating
I was scared and I was cold, hungry and alone
Now I know home ain’t meant for leaving
She began tucking in her wings after contemplating clipping
Thinking the flight was cruel, but well worth the landing
As her feet touched the ground of her hallowed rearing
Her quills stilled to the sound of an old heart newly pounding
