I WAS walking in the sunshine on an afternoon in Spring,
All the air was full of sweetness, all the pastures seemed to sing,
When a little bird rose lightly from a briar-bush in the way,
Flying swiftly for a moment ere it on the bracken lay.
With its little wings distended, it lay panting there in pain ;
Making effort, quiv’ring visibly in struggles all in vain ;
I was sorry for the little thing and watched it lying there,
While I wondered what had struck it in its passage through the air.
Though it seemed a thing impossible to do it any good,
Yet I stooped me down to take it, I would help it if I could ;
When it fluttered slowly onward, and again stopped, full of pain ;
Eager, then I followed after, stooping quickly to attain.
But it went a little farther, stopped again in dire distress,
And the nature of its trouble I was puzzled much to guess :
Till I noticed it had led me quite a distance from the briar,
And when next I went to take it, it flew well, and high, and higher.
Full of interest turned I backward to the briar-bush again,
Whence the little bird had started on its doleful flights of pain,
And I found – as I suspected – found a cosy little nest,
And the four blue eggs within it all the mystery expressed.
I but looked and would not touch them ; praised I then that little bird,
Which so anxiously and wisely from its nest a man had lured ;
And when next a bird feigns sickness, when its wings refuse to move,
I shall call to mind with pleasing thoughts, that stratagem of love.
(Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, Mind Poems, Sadness Poems, Nature Poems, Pain Poems, Birds Poems, Spring Poems, Mystery Poems, Flying Poems, Efforts PoemsBased on Keywords: distended, briar-bush