A Soddened Existence

A thrush flitted among the underbrush,
carefully dancing by the thorns
and pausing contently near patches of light.
He cared most for those moments of brief beatitude
during which he came upon a delectable beetle
but did not shy from the more bitter nuts and
fruits of the forest.

A soft voice called to him from a distance,
and he curiously approached its speaker.
And with a thwap! the net was cast.
Desperate, the thrush crashed against the
nylon fibers. But it was to no avail;
Exhausted, he crumbled to the ground.

Weeks later the thrush chirped and,
burdened by his clipped wings,
he looked through his cage -
daunted by the hostility.
Softly, mournfully, he sang his song -
Lamenting not his sudden relinquishment of freedom,
but the simple capacity he once had
to enjoy the simple fruits of the forest.