Birden the Albatross
Birden the albatross
Carries the weight of the downtrodden woes
But still on his heavily laden wings we toss
What weighs in the conscience of friends and foes
Who gave him this task?
Was it me, was it you?
It’s really too much to ask
And yet ask we still do
And like Santa’s sack
But not in a sleigh
And not one single toy
But on Birden’s back
Filled with the antonym of joy
He lumbers on with tired wings
Across the sea of despair
In search of a place to place these things
A place to unload these cares
One morning, he met a dove
And asked if it’d help carry
Some of this weight … help him rise above
But though it cooed, its plans it would not vary
And it flew off, thus did the hope its wings did carry
That afternoon, upon inquiring for assistance from a swallow
Not the everyday sort
But a slightly larger non-migratory fellow
A coconut-bearing African swallow of course
“You’re cryin’ over spilled coconut milk, you know!”
He replied and did so with absolutely no remorse
Near dark, he solicited aid from a bird
Carrying a small package as it happened by
Still over the sea of despair flew this third
With its infant package in mouth, it replied
“I unly curry bibbies … ‘em a schtork!”
The next day, at morning’s early glow
When he had thought all hope for help was gone
Birden came across a carrion crow
Who, when asked, retorted
“Son, I can’t manage more than a carry-on
And speaking of carry on, that is also what I must do!”
So, without further adieu, he did and was gone
Then, all of a sudden, like music to his ears
A bird approached, singing a welcome greeting
But, as if it knew Birden’s worst fears
When asked if it had room
It whistled in response, “Not in a million years!
“A songbird can only carry a tune!”
Birden survived the sea; he’d finally reached land
He spied a donkey in a field just off a mountain pass
He asked the fellow beast of burden if he’d give a hand
But, living up to its name, it responded like an ass
“Would if I could, but I’ve only hoof, not hand!”
In a similar encounter with a mockingbird
He got nowhere, because no matter what he would say
The bird mirrored Birden’s sentiments word for word
That is, till Birden said, “Yes, I will help.” He simply replied, “No way!”
Then flipped him the bird
But before he flew away
In a gesture both bizarre and absurd
He turned and offered, “Have a nice day!”
At last … at last, a carrier pigeon,
Surely it’d help carry, even if just a smidgeon
Help carry this burden too heavy for Birden to carry
The pigeon said nothing in response, but passed what he had to deliver
It was a message from a man that had a monkey on his back
And like how forgotten toys end up back in Santa’s sack
Thus this man’s problem had landed on Birden’s back
But, responsibility accepted, the man wanted them back
The man had finally realized a problem is something to face
Not to ignore, unload, or turn about face
If others followed suit, others in the human race
Then burdens’ weight would be a lot easier to carry
Spread out over a much wider space
And Birden’s wait would be only temporary
Before he could freely move on at his own Birden pace
