Equniox

SONGBIRD

Once there was a woman named Martha.
Martha was discontent, and her life was
full of busi-ness, burdens, tasks, and duties.

A songbird came into her life one morning,
sitting on her window, singing its heart out,
to her and to anyone who could hear.

Praise to the Father of all living.
Praise to the blessed bright morning.
Praise; and thanksgiving for being alive.

But Martha did not enjoy her songbird
for he reminded her that she was bound
to duties and had no time for singing or joy.

Yet morning by morning her songbird sang.
And Martha grumbled that anything could
be that cheerful. Life was not cheerful.

Martha’s heart was full of winter, you see.
Trust in no one or nothing, for they all fail.
Life has no purpose, except to one day to end.

The songbird still came daily to her window.
Spring became summer, and then fall.
Winter came too, with cold wind and snow.

Still the songbird sang for her each morning.
She could have raised her window to warm it
and left some crumbs and fat to feed it, but no.

So one morning she found it dead on the sill.
‘I knew it. Nothing good lasts.’ So she got rid of it.
Winter was bleak, but not as bleak as her heart.

But life goes on, as life always does.
Spring comes round, as Spring always will.
One bright morning, a songbird sang for her.

Praise to the Father of all living.
Praise to the blessed bright morning.
Praise; and thanksgiving for being alive.

Martha grumbled at its happy noise.
But her bleak winter heart thawed quite a bit.
She was happy her songbird had come back.

‘Weren’t you dead? Didn’t I bury you?’
But her newly risen songbird continued to sing
as songbirds always will.

Faith is better than reality, for it is more real.
Life is worth living only with joy and gratitude
and is meant for praise more than work and duty.

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