Nightingale's Song

 

Nightingale's Song

 

The Nightingale flew above the trees

Free to fly and soar in the never ending realm of the sky,

And he sang, rejoicing in his freedom

And his voice was like silver bells

And liquid gold and living fire.

 

The Rabbit crawled out of his hole and listened

Forgetting he was doomed to hide

And lurk in holes and shadows.

 

The Robin listened and flying up,

Trilled a few light notes

Forgetting the long weary weeks

Spent guarding her eggs; now hatched.

Her children added their voices to her's

Forgetting the threat of the Fox.

 

The Fox heard and capered around

Lifting his head to watch the the Singer pass,

The joy of the forest and King of the air.

 

The Bear crawled out of her den

Awakened by Spring's warm touch

And heard the singer's liquid notes

And compared it with the best thing she knew

The singers voice to her was honey;dripping, new.

 

The Doe heard and listened

Forgetting the hunters, the men

Following her trail.

 

And the hunters heard and forgot the doe.

They followed the Singer, the King, the 'gale

The joy of the forest, the freest of birds.

The hunters, they captured him and then they caged him

They sold him and said “Here's a singing bird,

A Nightingale, buy him and he'll sing for you

None can mach his music, that silver and gold.”

 

The Singer's body was bought

But none could buy his soul.

He would not sing and would not eat.

He withered away in a cage of gold.

 

And in the forest

The Robin could not sing,

The Rabbit stayed below,

The Doe was ever hunted,

The Fox's mind stayed dark,

The Bear remained with out her feel of honey.

 

The Singer slept and in his dreams he flew

Flew through the sky and sang again

And all the animals looked up and thought of him as King.

And then he woke,

And saw the cage and did not see the sky.

 

He thrashed around, despairing, but then...

The cage's door was loose!

He flew, flew out the window

And saw his forest.

 

And now again the Nightingale flies above the trees

Free to fly and soar in his never ending realm of the sky,

And he sings, rejoicing in his freedom

And his voice is like silver bells

And liquid gold and living fire.

 

The Rabbit crawls out of his hole and listens

Forgetting he is doomed to hide

And lurk in holes and shadows.

 

The Robin listens and flying up,

Trills a few light notes

Forgetting the long weary weeks

Spent guarding her eggs; long hatched.

Her children add their voices to her's

Ignoring the Fox down below.

 

The Fox hears and capered around

Lifting his head to watch the the Singer pass,

The joy of the forest and King of the air.

 

The Bear crawls out of her den

Awakened now by Spring

She hears the singer's silver notes

And compares it with the best thing she knows

The singers voice to her is honey;dripping, new.

 

The Doe hears and listens

Forgetting the threat of hunters

Of the men who followed her trail before.