and dear mama
“Mother Bird Is Leaving the Nest”
Now that there are no remnants of the eggshells
She had lain so arduously a lifetime ago
Mother bird is leaving the nest.
And while I can attest to the distress that will ensue
If I digress now for a second the mess I have created
Will undoubtedly be my tomb.
But I know that I can see it through
Because of what my mother bird has taught me:
Pay your bills on time,
Keep track of all the money that you spend,
Don’t fly too close to traffic
And certainly don’t depend on anyone you don’t trust to stand by you ‘til the end
And even then… proceed with caution.
Make sure to find ways to keep yourself entertained
Don’t buy in bulk, it’s a scam, trust me I calculated the cost.
And if a female is mean to you,
Well, then fuck her; it’s her loss.
Because all girls are treasure hunters
And you’re the diamond in the rough
And your soul’s a cave of wonders… or something.
Now, I may have given you many things
But all that really matters is what you do with what you have
I think it’s time for us both to spread our wings.
And she’s right.
Because mother bird knows best
And she would expect nothing less of her offspring.
And while I might detest the circumstance,
I’d never contest the opportunity to set her free.
And I know that father bird,
In his new nest would whole-heartedly agree.
You see, it was he who taught how to be a man
And to play the hand I’m dealt
It didn’t matter how I felt because that’s just the way it is.
And that doesn’t mean you can’t win.
He also taught me how to laugh, even when the chips are down
Because even when every door is closed there is always way around
And if you can’t find it, fine, just wait it out
Every door will open in due time.
So know when to hold and when to fold
And when to call and when to bluff
And you’ll do fine, if you’re tough.
He also taught me that this is not always enough
And that when a weary soul needs rest it better get it
Even if it means leaving the nest
Because at best the broken pieces will fit together and make sense
But even when intact a broken heart is still in fact an ugly mess
When it takes too long to heal you might not be coming back.
Now, I didn’t learn all of these lessons directly.
They reverberated off of every leaf of our tree,
Ricocheting off of every branch until it hit me in the chest.
I got the point.
I know it in my bones.
And even though I may have played the fiddle to the burning of our Rome
I understood mother bird’s course of action
It was time for her to stand alone
And who were we to tell her no.
She may have burned down the house
But it lit our way home
And even though I did not agree
I went along with it because I felt
That it was something mother bird would need and I was right.
Because mother bird knows best
And she would expect nothing less of her offspring.
Hell, she was barely out the egg herself when she had me
And even earlier conceived my older brother.
Can it be that she has never had a chance to see a life to call her own?
Well, I think it’s time mother bird.
I think it’s time that you had left
I think it’s time mother bird.
I think it’s time you left the nest.
And don’t worry for a second that we won’t know what to do
You’ve given us more than enough and we’re prepared
If for no other reason than because we came from you.
And mother bird knows best
And she would expect nothing less of her offspring.
And while I might detest the circumstance
I’d never contest the opportunity to set her free.