by G. Slamon, Brixton, U.K.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

A wise proverb tells us of blackbird and thrush

Though if truth be told I don’t quite understand

Why two birds in the bush equal one in the hand

For a bird in the hand it will tremble and quake

And out of its terror no song will it make

While the birds in the bush they will twitter and trill

And alive with their freedom will seldom stand still

But hither and thither and upwards and down

They will flutter and flitter and frolic and clown

And light up the hedgerows and colourful songs

While the caught bird in silence and stiffness it longs

So open your hands wide and let the bird fly

And find its way back to its place in the sky

And with it your spirit will soar with delight

And rejoice in the freedom of a proverb set right