Magpie The Great Teacher
by Alan

    One day Raven came to Magpie and spoke,
    "What strange feathers you have
    Neither black nor white
    What a strange sight you really are"


    Magpie ruffled her feathers and flew higher


    Raven followed close behind
    "You fly on your own old magpie
    Is that because you are feeling sorrowful"
    "Why is it that they write rhymes about you?
    You are not a bird of high regard
    You spend your days
    Looking for shiny bits of trash"


    Magpie looked and swooped down low
    "Come with me Raven" she spoke


    They flew down across the fields of man
    On into towns of bleak despair.
    Magpie flew lower then descended
    Alighting on a land-fill site
    "See all these resources the humans dump
    They consume and throw away"


    Raven looked and saw only rubbish


    Magpie delved deep and picked out a toy
    "Love once gave this doll
    And it was treasured by a child"
    Magpie delved deeper still
    And pulled out a shiny ring
    "With love this ring was given
    From the heart of a man"


    Raven cocked his head and looked puzzled
    "So why are they thrown away and lost"


    Magpie flapped her wings
    And flew into a nearby tree.
    "Come here Raven and look"
    Raven spread his wings and flew
    "See all those colourful lights,
    People flock there everyday.
    When they throw all these treasures away
    They go and buy new treasures there,
    I remind them to be resourceful" Said the magpie.


    Raven looked at Magpie with new respect
    "So why are you sorrowful my friend" said Raven


    "They no longer listen to us now" replied Magpie
    "They are like lost children wandering the Earth"


    "So there is no hope for them" said Raven
    As he took flight into the sky


    "There is always hope" replied Magpie
    "They just need to find the balance in nature"


    "And how do they find that balance" asked Raven


    "I remind them twice a year at the equinox
    When light and dark are in balance
    Symbolised by my feathers dear Raven.
    "I must fly now, dear Raven, here comes my family"


    Raven watched as Magpie flew high above him
    Followed by her seven brothers and sisters
    "Goodbye magpie" shouted Raven.


    In the busy concrete street below
    A young girl looked up and made a wish
    Eight magpies overhead flew high
    Into the dusk, into the sky.


    Copyright Alan - All Rights Reserved

'Magpie The Great Teacher' by Alan