An Unlikely Pair

Let me tell you a tale about a worm and a bird.

To put the two together might seem so absurd.

From the outside they seem as different as the ground and the sky.

But, these two became friends and let me share why.

One day as the bird flew high in the air

She looked down at the ground from her high space up there.

And she saw something that gave her such a hunch

That she could swoop down and grab quickly for lunch.

The thing on the ground was moving so slow.

For, it was a worm and he had places to go.

He was looking for a hole that he could make his home.

He was hungry himself and he was also alone.

His life moves so slow and so different from the bird

Neither with a friend to ever utter a word

He down on the ground and her up in the sky

Both were quite alone and not knowing why.

They both have a need and a hole that needs to be filled

And neither knows if it ever will

How to fill the void and the empty part

One of the stomach and one of the heart.

But, the bird is going to try to fill hers real quick.

Whole the worm will probably just find his under a stick

He does not know that he needs to get away

From one who is looking for some delicious prey

He simply is moving on the ground at slow speed

Whole she swoops in quickly to satisfy her need.

The bird comes down quick and lands on the dirt.

The worm is quite surprised, but does not utter a word.

This quick young robin of majestic flight

Could have halted the crawler with shivering fright.

But the worm simply says, “Well, how do you do?”

The bird replies, “I am hungry and came just to eat you.”

The worm simply twists his face in brazen disgust.

And says, “Go ahead, you can partake if you must.”

”But, first let me tell you of the things you will miss”.....

The bird was quite hungry, but just had to hear this.

The worm starts with ”Well, you and I, we have just met.”

And you do not know anything of me yet.

You simply see a slow crawler alone on the ground

That you would like to pick up and put right back down.

But, do you have a friend that you can talk to and be

Open and honest with about your day in the tree.

To tell of the freedom you feel while you soar

And the beautiful views, the scenery and more

Can you see mountains and prairies and planes

And how exactly do you fly in the rain?

You can tell you about the things that go on down below

And I what your tummy would feel like while crawling on the snow.

You can tell me what it feels like to fly through a cloud

Or to be so much closer to jets so big and so loud.

Would you want to know what it’s like to be underground

Or why my shape is so flat and so round.

We are so different, you and me

But, friends can come from us, you see

If we look at how we can both help eachother

You can be my sister and I, your brother.

It is hard to see things with my eyes so small

And it takes me so long to get to the top of things tall

Climbing to the top of the tree with that bark

Would take me from sunrise until it got dark.

There are some things underground I can get for food

That you could never get whatever your mood.

You can get to things so much faster than I

And swoop down to get them from your perch in the sky.

To one another we could be so much help

And neither would have to spend all day by ourselves.”

The bird gave this some thought and she says, “Maybe you’re right.

After all, I get lonely after a long flight.

I would love to have someone to tell about my day.

And the things that I saw while I was on my way.

From my nest to the tree and while flying up high.

About the things that I see on the ground from the sky.

Those jets are so loud and they seem so big.

From the sky, some of the trees could look small as twigs.

So, I guess there are some things I would like to know.

That only a different perspective can show.

So, maybe it would pay me to look some more.

And I could have a friend I have never had before.

There are some things under ground I would like to eat

But getting them is completely impossible for me

It must be so easy to live life slow on a breeze

I could help you with getting to the top of the trees.

I can tell you how to build a nest made of sticks

And what else I eat when worms may play tricks.

About how I get so lonely in my nest at night

With no friends to talk to and no one in sight

So, while we may be a very different pair

We all need a friend to help us get there.

I am so used to being on my own

Sometimes I do feel so very alone.

We may not be the same you see

But, I do believe that friends can come from you and me.

When you look past it all, we are actually the same

We both need someone we can laugh and play games.

On days when there’s rain, we can help through the storm

To get each other through when things are not quite the norm.

We can make each other laugh with riddles and jokes

Like good ole friends and country folks

Worm, I am glad that we met right here on this ground.

You might be a great friend to have around.”

The bird finished talking and looked down at the soil.

Then quickly realized his plans and lunch had been foiled.

For while he had been talking, the worm he had found.

A hole and crawled right into the ground.

So, as quick and as fast as he had made a friend.

The joys of the day soon came to an end.

While she had one hunger and then had another.

Her stomach remains empty and away went her brother.