"Chipper the songbird hatched early one spring,
To discover that life is a wondrous thing.
He wanted to see the whole world from the sky,
So he sat in his nest growing feathers to fly.
The wind swept his hillside tree upward and down,
As he stood watching over his old country town.
He heard children singing and watched them at play,
And gathered such gifts in his heart every day.
Spring turned to Summer and Summer to Fall.
He grew splendid feathers but this was not all.
Chipper had taken to singing at night,
And each time he did, he lit up like a light.
A gift of the kind only heaven can send,
Had come from above with a heavenly friend.
Other birds said, "Chipper's ways are not right,"
"No night singing birds, turning on and off light!"
Flocking and squawking they called Chipper "strange".
They said he should live outside normal bird range.
Then starlings forced Chipper to fly away north,
Just as the chill of the winter came forth.
Chipper flew many hours to be safe and free.
He stopped for a rest on an evergreen tree.
Below him a town square was fully in view.
And people were doing things festive and new.
The Spirit of Christmas was traveling round,
In kindness and faith, in sights and in sound.
Chipper was twinkling, thrilled by the view.
The Spirit came to him, and onward he flew.
He flew to the realm where angels sing,
To hear from the giver of every good thing.
Then one special song was placed in his heart.
Earthbound he returned, to continue his part..."
Excerpted from:
The Secret of Santa's Songbird © 2002
by D. S. Jackson. All rights reserved |
