A peculiar bird
     With a large curved bill
          Enters a prison
               Of her own free will.
This prison is small.
     It is inside a tree.
          She enters alone
               Without ever a plea.
She seals herself in,
     But leaves a small crack
          Through which she is fed
               And protected from attack
She sits on her eggs
     For weeks all alone
          In her dark prison cell
               That she calls her home.
Four weeks go by.
     The nestlings appear.
          Their chirping is heard
               When father draws near.
He alone feeds them
     For up to three weeks.
          Then the young can escape
               With their hammering beaks.
The family united
     Is now free to roam
          Far from that prison
               They once called their home.

Copyright © 1990 Jody Hildreth
All rights reserved.