"Bird to Human"

One day some evil-
Will cast its spell over you;
(One morning as the fog pervades your heart)
Remember: you are never lost-
Unless you consider yourself to be

Allow no one to clip your wide spread wings;
Show not a soul that it can be done;
Show not a mind your dreams can be taken;
Show no one you can be won;
Tell not a spirit of your weakness, but don’t doubt you have one.

One day someone may ascertain weakness-
And endeavor in stripping you of pride;
Attempt to rid dignity and virtue;
Shorten your longest stride;
And alas, such pride can never be regained.

We do fly; we have hearts that beat-
But we indeed, are no dim-witted birds!
What separates us from this witless dull-minded creature?
What makes us humans, beyond intelligence?-
What gives us right to aver we are greater than them?

Our wings can be clipped; our pride can be stolen;
Our hearts can be torn; our spirits may dim;
Virtue can be indifferent- but all the while-
We cannot regain our clipped wings-
But we can make new wings in new ways.

This doesn’t allow the dimmest of men,
To clip their wings and still fly.
It allows the great, the deserving, the intelligent-
To bestow to their heart twice as much sinew as before-
As to build their wings again.

IDOMAD, 2007