The swallows may fledge
today or tomorrow,
their parents are showing them
how it is done

I relate to these little birds
doing this thing, with no prior certainty
how it will go –
to fly off a beam and the rest of the day
try to work out
how to regain your altitude

Parents and, so it seems, other flock members
swooping in close, pecking, cajoling,
big clunky humans watching and guarding,
planning to help you up if you should fail

But you made it! The tight spiral up,
one almost miss,
and there you were back on the beam,
eager to snuggle back into the nest,
everyone cheering, especially us.

©Wendy Mulhern
July 5, 2020