On Our Own Wings

Far from the view of the hustle and bustle
Of everyday life as the leaves do rustle
I sit as the wind comes rushing by
And ponder things as the birds do fly

They come from the east, west, north and south
And as I watched with gaping mouth
They rode the breezes up above
In circles infinite filled with love

The currents upon which they fly
The freedom they feel as time goes by
Appearing to float so far above me
One seems to beckon, come and be free

And as they do I see myself
Floating above and joining them
Away from those things that bring me strife
Away from the toils of every day life

And for one brief moment I fly with them
I see nothing but beauty without and within
This earth on which we travel by
And watch as those below do try

To do as the birds do in freedom be
Floating on air as we wish to be free
Seeing all as a grain of sand
Below and with others and as they land

Upon tree branch, ground, and hill
Our eyes they see and watch very still
As they go about their merry way
Their own lives to live on their own as they may

We cannot see freedom in front of us
When we stand upon the ground we must
Beholden to others in life we be
And so it has been for centuries

Yet we are free within our hearts
And as time flies with wings we impart
Our love to others with our souls bring
Like unto birds our hearts they sing

If we but look unto the skies
Unto the birds as they do fly
Our hearts too can fly on wings
They too can float, if we let them sing

^{Kari Shinal Copyright Nov. 6, 2007}