AIRBORNE !

Was it fear, or hunger, or just plain fun
That drove you to conquer the empty element:
Grasp along branches, head for the sun,
Glide off to safety, in repeated experiment?

Desperate refuge from the milling throng;
A step too far where the branch grows weak;
Hurtling through air, with a startled song;
Generations’ adaptation of claw and beak.

Working the wind, balance and ride,
Soar and hover, serene and safe.
The sky is yours, who scuttled to hide
And reached for infinity, desperate waif!

Manoeuvre in strength, or fluttering skill;
Superb in your element; freedom on high;
Power and speed, or almost still;
Graceful rulers of trees and sky.