The Survivor

I saw him lying amidst the snow A helpless little feathered thing 'Methought' what ails the creature so He's sick or wound or broke a wing. I picked him up examined him With eyes half ope he peered at me And though his head did sideways tilt He did not have an injury. A little bird with wings of brown And with bluish feathers on his breast Beside the fire i placed him down In cage with fist of hay for nest. He seemed so weak i thought he'd die This victim of hunger and cold An hour or maybe more went by Before the heat of him took hold. He shook himself then i knew he'd live And he slowly walked around the cage floor He'd won his battle to survive And the agony for him was o'er. I gave him bits of bread to eat This hedge dweller with slender bill With bobbing head he pecked the crumbs And took his life sustaining fill. Two weeks went by the snow had gone And the dunnock he chirped merrily I took the cage out to a field The time had come to set him free. I opened the cage and he flew away Chirping with joy as he did go The bird i'd found on that January day Dying amidst the frozen snow. --------------------