In Flight

A bird circles overhead, its wings sweeping the air. Its eyes, piercing downward toward the ground, are sharp and focused. It calmly rests upon a leafless branch of a large sycamore tree. Looking outward from the branch, it scans the brilliant red and orange sun slowly dipping below the distant horizon. All is quiet and peaceful. A cool breeze ruffles the bird’s feathers. A small furry animal lurks below. The bird’s eyes carefully follow the animal’s movements. Attack, the bird thinks, but no, it chooses not to. Instead, it prepares to fly away to another tree to have a look around from a different perspective. The bird knows that it will make many journeys during its lifetime. It knows it will rest upon a multitude of trees and hedges and if only for short-lived moments in time, it knows that it will have fleeting feelings of happiness and freedom. The bird takes one last look at the little animal scampering below. For a brief second, the bird wishes that it was that animal. It feels that the animal has a permanent place for its home instead of always wandering aimlessly from place to place making a new home for itself. The bird flies away, its wings flapping against the humid stagnant air. Once in flight, the bird keenly looks around and pursues another branch to rest upon.