I sit and gaze at the sky, a familiar place
The clouds moving at an alarming pace
The sun’s intense rays inflict burns
So I turn my head and focus on the worms
They wriggle and writhe, covered in grime
I close my eyes and pretend it's sublime
I swallow and choke and eat and eat
But the hunger never recedes
I shovel and cram helplessly into my beak
The view above seems more and more bleak
My meal has ended yet I crave much more
I peek over the edge as I have so many times before
I take a deep breath and imagine what it feels like to soar
The wind in my feathers, the new sights to explore…
But it's a terribly long fall from the top
So my eternal perch from above cannot stop
My stomach churns
My chest starts to burn
It’s a forest fire that never stops–
Yet I've always timidly sat and watched
Until the bark charred and the branches broke
And the sky filled with thick black smoke
And I wheeze and huff as my lungs close
But I dig my claws into my nest
And sit as I neglect my mess
I move the shells out of the way
And find an empty space to lay
I sing a fleeting little song
Not too loud and not too strong
Filled with devastating normalcy
Yet all I do is lie down remorsefully
The comforting burning rumbles in my chest
The inferno engulfs what is left
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