"The Bird At The Window"

“The Bird At The Window”

A bird sung through the window of the palace walls

The tiny eyes of a child were opened by the quiet calls

The smile of the father greeted the child’s waking eyes

And the light of the rising sun calmed the child’s cries

As the father held the child, sobbing began to cease

And the room was once again filled with peace

The child whispered, “ Daddy, Daddy I had the strangest dream-

I went to a land were nothing was as it seemed.”

“The land was ruled with hatred & lies,

And I found all those around me were seeking my demise

I ran, but I stumbled, & fell

And the rest of what happened - I’m so afraid to tell.”

The eyes of the child closed in pain

But the fathers embrace still remained

As the air of reality filled the room

The love of the father- chased away the gloom

The child’s eyes slowly opened, & peace was found again

And they faced the fear together- father to child- friend to friend

“The moment I fell, they had me in their grasp

They bound me, & I drank their ‘poison from a glass.’“

“It burned as it went through me, but somehow I survived

But with the change in my heart- I often wished I wasn’t alive

In this dream I fought against you and all that you stand for

As the poison I had taken found it’s way to my hearts core”

“As time went on - the poison began to disappear & I began to see-

Brief glimpses of the love you still had for me

Alone, in shame- I fell to my knees

I shook in fear & cried with desperate pleas”

“As I was rising to go to you, I heard voices at the door

Before I could get to my feet they were trying to force me to take more

When I refused they turned all their wrath against me

Somehow I escaped their raging hands & ran, deciding to accept anything asked of me”

“As I ran I heard footsteps behind my ears

I turned my head & saw their fingers- inches away from my chains & fears

I missed my step & began to fall again, & I closed my eyes---

Fully expecting to see my enemies surrounding me on every side.”

“But the bird at the window woke me from the chaos & fear-

And when I opened my eyes- my enemies were gone & you were here...

Please Daddy, tell me all of that was just a dream

And the land I’m in is not as dangerous as that one seemed”

The father held the child closer in his arms

As his love assured the child that his presence chased away all harm

He brushed the hair from the child’s face

And he sang to the child nestled safely in his embrace

“Take your rest in me, I’ll give you strength to face the journey

Take your rest in me, I’ll give you courage to go on

Take your rest in me... this is your time to be renewed with me

Take your rest in me, I’ll give you all you need to go beyond”

“The dream is over, and you are here with me now

You are safely by my side, and I will show you how-

To grow beyond illusions and know reality

Soon you will know all you need to be free.”

The child and the father prepared to face the day

Knowing together they would face whatever came their way

Standing in the palace courts- they gazed up at the window

That same bird was singing a song of joy for the entire world to know.

LN Maher

© 1997 Echoes of The Lion’s Roar (12/11)