Raven
She holds one finger out to the air to feel all that is held in nothingness. It Is cold after having been tucked away in her mittens. She stands still as a statue with the evening sun weaving into her hair. Each strand a a glowing spell that radiates around her.
A flock of birds caws loudly as they come to rest in the tree around her. Neighbors look up and wonder what on earth has them making such a raucous. They cannot see the girl or the magic she is offering to them. She is powerful, but she is small. She is amazing. She is beautiful. She hears dishes crash against a wall inside, as Mother bird lands on her finger.
With words she doesn’t understand she begs through her mind, “My deepest spirit from the old ways implores you to take me when you leave. You heard my prayer to come and rescue me. You came! Turn me into a bird that can take flight from this place. Give me power to beat my wings against this life. Let me be free”
A neighbor worries about the girl, not more than a toddler, standing frozen in the garden. She should make a call for someone to take notice. The oven timer rings her attention away from the window and the girl is forgotten.
“Child, you have all the power you need to be free. You create worlds and wield wishes. You can change this place one day. You can turn this house from cage to sky and fly into a glorious life.
You can love the babies, make them smile and coo. You can steady the adults and shine your light wherever you go. You can make snow angels and mudpies, ride tricycles and unicycles. You can study the ancient secrets of Egypt’s tombs and save the planet from plague. You can savor cold lemonade on a hot day. You can pretend to be a rebel princess. You can be a rebel princess! You can suck sorrow from a plum stone and make it sing. You can walk 1,000 miles and swim through the ocean surf. You can plant seeds of kindness all over the world. You can be the change you want to see in the world.
But you can never be a bird”
The girl understood and wept.
The birds rested, then flew off without her.
