Birds stand for freedom:
Canaries thrive in someone’s heart;
Seagulls teeter over the rocks, riding
The resilient wings of wind

Birds stand for victory,
Ravens sweeping past flaming tares
Eagles swooping over the mountain peaks;
A ride on the wings of hawks

Birds stand for joy,
The plumage of camouflaged cranes,
The hymns of cardinals, the cries of jays;
The brush of fluff against your palm

Birds stand for love,
Feathers braided into the wind,
Crowns of lilies around a nest;
Songs echoing through the dusk.