Sunshine, the bird, and the bended bough

While Aster hopped within a bush, she sang a little song to herself. Lots of good grubs lurked in the rich soil beneath the bush, but digging for them was tiring and repetitive work, so she enjoyed singing her songs to make the work go faster. If only she didn’t need to eat! Then she could easily explore this lush valley.

“Sunshine, the bird, and the bended bough,
Hushed and afar are life's troubles now
When here I may feel the flying feet,
The throb of the bird's heart flutter sweet,
And all the unforgotten bliss
That thrills her, when she sings like this,
—Upon yon bended bough.”

At the completion of her song, she decided she’d decimated enough of the isopod population—besides, she tired of digging her claws amongst the bush’s roots. She jumped up, fluttered her wings, and climbed to the top of the bush.

Aster scanned the skies for birds of prey. And for another interesting spot to explore. But then she heard the sound of pawsteps nearby; surprised, she hopped in place and spun about to find the disturbance.

// Poem is The Blue-Bird by Marion Thornton Egbert