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Saturday, September 27, 2014



Mama’s Roots

The northern wind blew incessantly, molding the contour of 
the tattered flag to that of the long abandoned machine shop. 
The now cracked and crumbled concrete had not witnessed
 a single pair of work boots in the better part of a decade. 

With the exception of the majestic Oak Tree 
that stood with unabashed glory in the Corner of First and Main, 
the rest of the town had not fared much better. 

There was no care for the old man,
 no job for the young man, and no food for the boy. 
Despair and resentment long since invaded 
the once hopeful hearts of the congregants 
as they watched their beloved community 
fall from glory before their very eyes.

   

The Oak Tree, however, stood as the pinnacle of life in the otherwise lifeless town. 
The time-tested roots proved immensely durable. 
The leaves provided much needed shade
 when the blinding two-o’-clock sun
 pierced the eyes. And nestled safely in the very heart of the tree lived
 Mama Bird and her adored baby bird.

Each morning, Mama Bird would wake and yearn to make the nest
in which Little Bird would grow 
just a bit stronger, a little bit sturdier, a little bit better for the love of her life. 
Just as each morning the sun rises to warm the earth, 
each morning Mama Bird fell more and more in love with Little Bird.
 And so every morning Mama Bird spread her wings and soared down river 
in order to collect sticks, straw, and leaves for the Oak Tree’s nest.

With each sunrise Mama Bird sang a sweet song as she departed for the riverbank 
so that Little Bird would hear and know that she was never far. 
The tune echoed far beyond sounds normal capacity.  
Mama Bird loves her little girl.

The townspeople coveted the very glimpse of Mama Bird soaring from the Oak 
so much so that they added words to serenade the sweet medley 
that the bird chirped each morning

The people would sing

These roots are for my little girl,
I will place them so she may grow
In love, in faith, in hopeful bliss
Wherever her wind may blow

The ransacked town was clinging for existence. 
Stores were looted daily, fear of the unknown
 threatened to suffocate all who were old enough
 to know the inevitable fate of their downward spiral. 
Mama Bird’s weighted heart beat with purpose, 
and her wings remained tense as they flapped through the air.
 Even the beautiful connoisseur of the sky was not without apprehension. 
For Little Bird’s wellbeing was always on her mind.

Yet the people concealed their day-to-day fears, 
and instead, let the Mama Bird’s song bandage their wounded spirits. 
And Mama Bird soared on in pursuit of a strongly rooted nest for Little Bird. 
This went on day after day, month after month, year after year. 
Accordingly, Mama Bird found herself on the riverbed searching for roots 
on the day of the great storm.

The frustration and angst that was long stored away 
in the hearts of the townspeople 
came to fruition in the form of lightening, thunder, and ceaseless rain.
 The bold wind competed with the info structure of the town for domination. 
Shingles were ripped from homes. 
Porcelain statues and glass windows shattered with pain.
 Only Little Bird’s nest stood unharmed. 
For the foundation of love, the spirit of truth, 
and the sprinkle of grace that Mama Bird compiled
 over the years proved stronger than any 
Earthly challenge.

Then the winds finally subsided and the cry of the people 
began to echo throughout the town, 
Little Bird knew what she had to do. 
Although she had never before left her nest, 
her heart new the way – Little Bird spread her wings 
and soared through the endless sky. 
As her young wings tickled the air, she burst into a song 
that would nurse the wounded heart of her people.

Soon after, Mama Bird replied with a melodious
 echo from the edge of the riverbank.
 Little Bird swooped down until the two were so close 
that Little Bird had the sense that Mama Bird’s heartbeat
 was controlling her own pattern of motion. 
Together, the two overtook the night sky, singing a synchronized tune
 with a harmony and a pitch that was more gloriously
 hopeful than any melody ever heard by man.

Throughout the town, small eyes were filled with laughter. 
Mature smiles radiantly beamed through lines of hurt. 
Backs were straightened, heads held high – 
The duo lifted the spirits of the town tenfold that day

and the people sung with joy

These roots are for my little girl,
I will place them so she may grow
In love, in faith, in hopeful bliss
Wherever her wind may blow

Each morning as the sun emerges from the East, 
Mama Bird and Little Bird can be found soaring throughout the limitless sky. 
With resilient roots and tenacious wings, their hearts beat as one.


And to this day, that town stands as the happiest little place on this side of Heaven