Mama has been working hard to form a rich bowl
Of pine and hay and sticks and leaves.
Soon there will be little eggs, probably five or six.
But she doesn't rest, knowing that more work lies ahead.
She has to feed herself and sit on those eggs a while each day.
Just for them.
Do the baby birds feel her work and love?
Do they feel the careful attention to each turn
And curve of the protective bowl she makes?
Do they know how hard she's worked
To find just the right gourd on just the right pole
In just the right backyard with just the right protection?
Just for them.
When they hatch, there will be hungry mouths to feed,
Mouths that open as soon as she enters the nest
And don't close until she leaves.
Will they feel the love that it took to get them this far?
Will they trust her to keep them safe from harm?
Harm, that lies just outside that nest.
Just for them.
Yes, they trust her, for they know that mama's
Love and work and flight and food
Will make them strong inside the brood.
And when they leave, it's her they see,
Gently pushing them from the nest, the bowl,
Where her love used to be.
Just for them.
Wonderful and touching... :)
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