Little Bird

by Robin Bond (Canada)

I didn't expect to find Dominican Republic

If I should die before I wake And you're wondering what to say at my funeral Take this with you Stand in front of the room and with a chest full of air slowly exhale and say She lived Talk about the time I was horseback riding in the mountains of Dominican and I came across a tiny bird It was weak and wobbly Quite obviously on it's way back out of the world it had just been born into Tell them how I scooped it up and held it in my one arm and held the reigns of my horse in the other and with no other way but to grip with all my might I might have been silly but I made it up the mountain and sat in the compo with the locals sipping ten year old mamajuana and eating fresh cacao with the little bird still in my hand A one legged rooster hopped past me and I wondered how in the hell he was so damn happy knowing he was about to be dinner And here she was Or he was I really dont know But what does it matter This fragile broken bird I finally passed it off to one of the elders before it passed Some of them joked at the gringa At how my privilege has made me kinder to the birds than it has to people The old man told me it would be ok and it would live He offered me more fruit Coconut Papaya But I knew deep down he was a liar That little bird wouldnt live But I realized what a beautiful short life it had Being born into the sunshine and immensely green foliage Falling Probably from one of the highest branches And surviving Being lost and then found Riding atop a tamed wild beast Like some birds have never done Like some birds will never do Being held Being loved Closing its eyes to the sounds of laughter To the smells of a thousand flowers Fresh fruit and a soft voice that whispered it will be ok It lived After you tell them about the little bird Maybe they will live too And serve papaya For a bittersweet ending