Fly Away Home

for Julie

A single feather drifts
from the nearly empty feeder
as the light streams
golden in the late
afternoon fire.

You've seen it
a million times before,
but today
you decide
to chase after
the downy tuft
of air and travel
toward the open sea,

give up the body
and drift
mindlessly home
like so many winged creatures
have want to do.

A humming bird waits,
hovers and prepared to fight
battles you could not.

The cardinal becomes
just another dawn singer.

The crane
looks back, modestly,
and beckons
your truth to follow--
a disciple with no heavy stone
to roll away
from the tomb.

Only the desire
to fly away home

remains.