The survival skills

The Survival Skills

With the sun rising, the jungle rises too,

stretching its limbs and twittering its wings

as animals come out, after their night long rest

and sleeping birds wake up too, leaving their nest

in search of food and life

each day, a test of their survival skills!

The fledgling flies out of its cozy nest

brandishing its green plumage, as it ventures out

though the world out is still beyond its boundary

there is still time before it has to find

the food that its mother feeds it or what its father brings

but it needs testing its wings,

to learn to save itself, to dare and dodge

any other bigger bird, or animal that kills!!

Then as the evening descends on the tree

and the songs of birds returning home,

get louder, and louder

as they celebrate the return of survivors, while

mourning the death

of those who didn't make it,

the mother awaits with an abated breath,

for her little one

who hasn't appeared back!!!

And then, tip tap, tip tap, tip tap

the fledgling returns home,

honouring her belief.

Dragging on its hurt wing

it falls in her lap.

Tasting the sweet sour taste of

the outside world on its wounds,

she sighs with relief.

It snuggles up to her

before folding itself into a still ball of green wool

to plummet into a deep sleep.

dreaming of another morning victory!