Behind the strongest prison walls the little bird is free.
The concrete, steel and razor wire he laughs at it with glee.
The guards cannot hold him in, the tower but a rest,
He needs no key to set him free, for with strong wings he is blessed.
He sings a song of joy and peace, a melody of praise,
The rumble of approaching storms his countenance unfazed.
He has no meal that’s been concealed, hid until next week,
No hands to work to feed himself, his only tool his beak.
His only home a roofless throne, made from twigs and sticks,
No quarried stone, no wood that’s honed, no mortar and no bricks.
No stocks and bonds, this bird has none, no money in the bank,
He owes no man for anything, he has but One to thank.
For this One gives him air to breath and water for his thirst,
This One has met his every need and Loved him from the first.
The little bird, he trusts this One, to meet his every need,
No worry of how or when, this One gives bird his feed.
On feathered wing he flies so high, without a single care,
He soars above the turning world, on invisible streets of air.
And though he cannot see them, they take him ever higher.
And the One he trusts, who Loves him much, gives him his heart’s desire.
He cannot see the air and he cannot see the One,
But it does not keep him on the ground and his Maker he’ll not shun.
The faith this bird owns, my friend, is what makes this bird so free,
And though my body is bound with chains, this bird’s my soul; and that’s me!
Tertius
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn;
yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
Luke 12:24
A note about “Flyin’ High”: While making a prison visit I saw some birds inside the compound and listening to their music I understood they were completely oblivious to the confines that held men and women in bondage. Even though I was just visiting I feel the pain the walls inflict, albeit only in a small way. Not so with the birds, they are as free as … well, birds! The poem is a bit of a stretch though, I wish my faith is as strong as is implied. Maybe wishful thinking, for sure a goal, but I’m getting closer and flying higher every day, not to brag on myself, but on the mercy, grace and sublime Love of “The One.”