GHANDI’S BIRD

A common little fellow
Quite shy really
But a good neighbor
In his own little community of water birds
A peace lover, he wages war with no one
Builds his nests in trees
Out of harm’s way
Eating insects, amphibians and fish
Standing hunched and quiet
Until his meal appears
Then moving swiftly
A mighty hunter in his own right
A quiet brown color, camouflaged well
Until mating season arrives
When he and his future mate brighten their feathers
The observer not recognizing which is male
And which female
For the humble fellow would not strive to take the limelight
For himself alone
Brown to the eye when earth bound
But when soaring above
Exposed underbelly and wings
Glisten pure white in the sun
As a spirit rising above a mundane life
The cities expand to overshadow his ponds
Rices paddies and mash lands
Robbing him of his natural habitat
And he, quiet fellow that he is
Backs off
His mate follows his lead
Laying fewer eggs
For they would not intrude on others
But rather seek to keep the balance in nature
Allowing room for other living things
Man, in his thoughtlessness, continues to destroy what is natural
To build empires that will settle one day into dust
As the pond heron searches for water clean enough
To keep life renewing itself
Not crying out to those polluting his world and theirs
Remaining silent
Passive in his resistance
Ghandi’s bird

(c) 2008 Beth NoLastName