The Hungry Crow

Unsure, yet determined
To peck at a god-sent morsel
It inched forward
And then backward
It’s beak, hungry
But eyes weary
Tempted by impulse
But wounded by the past
Of morsels snatched
And betrayals cast
But faith overcame fear
And a bite replaced the tear
Free from the pain it never earned
Crossing bridges it never burnt
It had finally come home
Where it could rest its tired wings
And play with pearls
Hanging from its broken strings
Then did my smile
Turn into a sigh
Or did the rustles of nearby leaves
Echo a familiar cry
The morsel became a risk
My shadow became a threat
Faith bowed to fear
And love lost the bet

Broken by the last straw
It refused to eat
Finding the only shelter under its wings
It unburdened its shuffling feet
That morsel was its very own
Maybe too little
Maybe too late
But never unknown

If you fly far away
To find a new morsel
In a new land
I wont chase your flight
I will understand
But if you can ever trust my shadow
And if your wings bring you back home
I promise I’ll feed you
With my own hand