a long way down

She had always wanted to join them, high in the sky hopes and all. She said she dreamed the same dreams, schemed the same schemes. And at first all seemed well. She talked the talk, she squawked the squawk - and they even forgave her when she didn’t know the truth about bluebirds. But while ignorance is bliss, bad birds must be punished.

And yesterday the eagles passed judgement. They took her up to the top of the tallest tree to remind her of the rules of the game. They said you mustn’t use your feathers as weapons. They should lift you high, and let you see the world laid out below, all gameboard smiles. They said feathers are light, but sharp too. They should be used to draw comparisons, and sometimes even conclusions, but never to draw blood.

Yesterday the eagles passed judgement. They plucked 180 feathers from her wings and sent her down to live out life on the ground.