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Ceil
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For more of Ceil click Chaff or go to http://ceildeyoung.tripod.com/ 

Why Write?

Our deepest feelings of fear, love, joy, fantasy, anger, hurt, and pain live in our minds. Fragmented thoughts, images, and emotions give them life as they swirl through our brains unspoken. Often one word or image triggers another as our emotions move down a well-worn circular path only to begin again and again.

 

Asked to speak of our torment we pull together our broken thoughts. The words sound strange as we express then in the cold world of hearing, but unless the hearer understands our halting words, the expressions disappear as snow on a hot pavement.

 

We are forced by the very act of writing to make sentences that live on in hard copy. For the first time our eyes might see and our ears hear, as we read to others, that, a phrase or an emotion does not necessarily lead in circles—there are other avenues, other destinations our thoughts could take. As we learn to express ourselves, we can cloak our unspeakable words in metaphor, or fantasy. When we are ready and courageous enough to write the true story, we will learn many things about ourselves, and the other characters. Through building the story, we can make sense of our disjointed thoughts.

 

We are all great writers if we give expression to our inner most feelings. While we might take direction on writing mechanics, it is of little or no importance. All that matters is giving freedom to the emotions of fear, love, and pain inside. No matter how you spell it, or punctuate it, it can’t be wrong if it is from the heart.    

Little Bird

 

Little Bird sat on a limb in the forest. The smell of moist vegetation rose from the forest floor and sunlight filtered through the leaves warming her. The brook splashed and gurgled around rocks in its path as it hurried between moss-covered banks. How she loved the forest. She was so happy she began to sing. It wasn’t the most beautiful song in the forest but it was her song and she sang it with her whole heart. When she finished she noticed another bird sitting nearby who seemed to enjoy her song.

 

He spoke to her and everyday after that he came to hear her. It wasn’t long before he began to sing with her. At first, his voice was harsh and raspy, but the more he sang with her the more their voices blended into beautiful music. One day he said, “It is dangerous here in your forest. There are many predators, which would destroy you. Come with me and I will keep you safe forever.”

 

Little Bird loved Other Bird and gladly flew away with him to a large cage. She missed the forest; but she was so happy singing her song, their song, and listening to his song that she hardly ever thought about the forest. Soon she was busy fixing up the cage, building a nest, hatching eggs, tending, feeding, and nurturing baby birds. She had never been so happy before. Surely, this was the purpose for her existence, she thought. Her song of happiness became richer, deeper, and sweeter.

 

As time went on the baby birds grew and went out on their own. This brought joy to Little Bird, but one day one of the baby birds returned home sick and dying. Little Bird was sad to see her offspring suffer, but he was so brave she was proud of him. She sat by his bedside and they sang one last sweet song together until they would meet again. When he drew his final breath, she shed no tears. This was his destiny and the bond that had been between them in life would continue in death. 

 

Suddenly, sounds of rage filled the air. Death had penetrated the safety of the cage and stolen one that Other Bird had vowed to protect. “Bring back my son and take me instead,” he cried to Death.

 

But Death knows his own, and did not heed him.

 

Little Bird sang her sweet songs, but it did not sooth Other Bird. The pain of this one she loved more than life it’s self was so great she could hardly bear it and before long she forgot how to sing. For months, then years she huddled in a safe-place watching Other Bird wail that he wanted to die while he hurled himself against the bars of the cage of his own making. She pleaded with him, cried with him and for him, and still he shut her out while he tried to escape. For 12 long useless years, he beat against the bars.

 

In the 13th year, Little Bird gave her mate permission to be him self and she began to try to learn to sing again. It had been such a long time. The words were so slow in coming and the music was off-key, but everyday she practiced singing her empty song.

 

It will be all right, Other Bird is better, she told her self as her mate sat sullen. I will learn to sing again.

 

As the 13th year closed Other Bird rose swift and strong into the air to pull the king pin from the top of the cage. The strong heave bars fell inward, crushing Other Bird and ending his earthly life.

  

Little Bird from her safe-place in the cage looked at his lifeless form on the floor. Just as she had felt his pain when he lost his son, she now felt his joy. Death had finally freed him, but Little Bird cried for the sadness of the past. 

 

Then slowly she began to remember the happy times when she and Other Bird sang together. She raised her head and noticed the soft blue of the sky. The sun peeked between fluffy white clouds and warmed her as the smell of green growing plants filled her. From somewhere she heard the gurgling of water and something else—music.

 

Others gathered around her singing their song. Little Bird smiled and without even realizing it, she began to sing a song of hope. Off in the distance Another Bird answered her. His song spoke of dreams she had often had. And when they sang together it was a sweet song of happiness. 

More later