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They brought him to me very
ill;
His legs were crippled, twisted,
turned.
A baby, though so large he was;
In
my arms safe, he’ll quickly learn.
He’d
call to me when I walked by;
I held and talked
him through his fears.
I fed and bathed him
every day,
to keep him happy many
years.
A little sun and fresh cool
air;
I showed to him the wonders of.
And
took him out to see the world
he’ll never know.
. .my crippled dove.
So helpless and dependent,
yet,
he always tried so hard to fly.
His legs would
never set him free;
He never knew the reason
why.
I’d talked to him so tenderly;
His
big round eyes would show content,
Believing
that one day he’d be;
But he grew worse as
mornings went.
I tried to show him it could
be,
if only he had understood,
and hoped one
day to set him free
by doing for him all I
could.
Every morning I’d awake
to see
him search for me, to care.
And every night I’d
bed him down,
and leave him with a healing
prayer.
Daily, I would work with him
in
hopes somehow, he’d stand alone.
As hard as he
would try for me,
more twisted, turned, his
legs had grown.
Then one morning I
awoke
to hear him crying out in pain.
I knew
the time had finally come,
and all my work was
wasted gain.
I could not see him suffer
this,
and took him to be put to sleep.
I
thought about how large he’d grown,
while all
these thoughts of him, I’d keep.
I think
about him now and then;
A white-winged dove, I
saw today.
I wish I could have helped him
when
he had the strength to fly away.
©
Cheryl Taul
February 17, 1994
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