The Nest
So careful and intricate was her nest's design
I would see her carry sticks and leaves to the rafters
She added pieces of tissues, dirt and, I think, old twine
Within weeks I heard the sound of chirping
And alas, the day came that the babes could fly away
I felt a bit sad that these new little beings
Were ready to leave the nest; they could no longer stay
The mother sat perched on the edge of a rafter
And coaxed each baby out of the nest
So hesitantly, they took their first flight of freedom
While their mother watched to see if they passed the test
I feel an identity with this mother finch
This year I watched my little one fly away
Done with college and off on her own
I wanted her to take off, but I admit I wanted her to stay
But chicks must find their way in this world
A good parent knows that they must soar on their own
We arm them with confidence and help them take that first flight
But we remind them the nest is there and they are never alone
As painful as it is to watch them fly
More painful it would be to teach them they cannot soar
The baby birds survive because they learn to use their wings
They thrive because they have their own dreams to explore
Published by Donna Cavanagh
I like to make people laugh. My newest humor book "Reality: Fantasy's Evil Twin" is now available on Amazon. My other humor book "Life on the Off Ramp" and my poetry book "Poems for a Positive Day II" were... View profile
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12 Comments
Post a CommentAbsolutely beautiful, and oh so true. Thanks for sharing.
such a tender poem
Good luck. . .and soon enough, before you know it, their might be some grandbaby chicks to fill the nest with. Thanks for sharing this poem with us!
Yes indeed Donna. I once heard a child development expert say, give children the freedom to fail for in failure, much is learned. If the have no freedom to fail, they actually have no freedom at all. Great work.
Words of wisdom!!!
It's painful to see them go, but somehow gratifying at the same time to know they're flying free. BTW, you were really lucky that this mother bird built her nest where you could watch!
It's sad, at first, but after about 15 minutes, an empty nest is wonderful!
I'm crying as my son flies off for college....
the empty nest is really bad if you lose your spouse too.....but God is with you
Being an empty-nester isn't so bad! If you are lucky someday your chicks will return will chicks of their own! In the meantime, you can recharge your relationship with your spouse as you have more time alone together.