The Sparrow's Song

It’s late in the morning, past the time to start the day. All the animals are asleep, though they should be awake. But one is awake—one little sparrow sings her song. But she is small and she is weak; it doesn’t last long. It awakes one, just one, a robin. Hearing her song, he joins right in. But they are singing separate songs, they don’t know any better; They don’t know how to sing together. Their dissonance disturbs a big blackbird Who understands both of the birds he heard. So, he sings between, rounding out the other two, And though the song is growing louder, they are still too few. They awake three canaries, four cardinals, and a magpie, Two nightingales, two owls, all join the sparrow’s cry. Slowly, slowly, slowly, more and more arise; Every bird joins in, and how the volume multiplies, And all the animals start to awake at last. Oh! What power that little sparrow has