The Little Robin
Written by ‘N’
A little robin came to stay a while, to stay a while with me,
As I sat upon a wooden bench, beneath a great big tree.
I’m sure I heard him whisper quietly, I’m sure I heard him say,
“Why do you look so sad right now on this beautiful summer’s day?”
I thought about his question and the tears began to fall,
And the emotion seemed to well up inside and the darkness began to call.
It all seemed like way too much, too heavy a load for me to bear,
Too hard to cope, too much to do and it all seemed so unfair!
I sat like that for a little while with the red thoughts and my tears,
With the worries and the sadness drumming loudly in my ears.
When I suddenly remembered the little bird, the one that I had seen,
And I turned my head to look for him and he was perched just where he had been!
I’m sure he spoke again right then and I am sure he said to me,
“Dry your tears and look around, just look what you can see.
There is a beautiful world out there and you know just what to do,
A wonderful world full of wonderful beauty and its waiting just for you!”
“You know that you are special and have so much you can give,
To the ones you love and to yourself and to this world in which you live!
So let the anger leave you and let those fears just melt away,
Keep on doing what you do, it will get easier each day!”
I felt a little lighter then and it helped my mind to clear,
It helped to lift the heaviness and it helped to melt the fear.
And I sat up tall and looked around and began to breathe real slow,
And instead of all the red thoughts, the green ones began to flow!
“I have come so far! I have learned a lot! And I have practiced every day!
I have done my best! And I will continue on! And I will be okay!
I can see I have made it simpler! And I know what I want for me!
And I know what it will feel like when my body and mind are free!”
I looked back at the little bird and he seemed so calm and wise!
And I thought I saw him smile at me, I could see it in his eyes!
And just then I remembered that in my bag I had a little treat,
A piece of cheese that I could share with him, that I could sprinkle at his feet!
He picked it up and ate it and then as it seemed he was on his way,
He hopped back beside me, looked right at me, as if to say,
“You have got this N! Be proud of what you have worked so hard to do!
You deserve it all and it is yours to take! All you have to be is you!”
And with a little tweet and a hop he disappeared under a tree!
And I was left all alone again, just the bench, the trees and me!
But instead of feeling helpless and sad like I had felt before!
I felt a whole lot lighter and like I deserved and wanted more!
I spent a little more time there, sitting upon the seat,
Hoping the robin would return, hoping to hear his little tweet!
I wondered had I imagined it, wondered was I going mad!
Wondered how that little robin had made me feel less sad!
And it is then that I realised that the bird was sent to me,
To help me look within myself, to help me look and see.
To help me have the faith in me to know that I can cope,
To know I have the answers and above all to give me hope!
I decided it was time to leave and I stood up brave and tall,
But as I left the bench behind I am sure I heard the robin call.
“I have trust in you my dear! I’m certain one day that you will be,
Just like the birds you saw today……. happy, wild and free!”
Nx
It may be hard to believe but this poem is based on a true story! It happened today as I sat in a local park after a walk through the woods! I haven’t been able to shift the feeling of despair for a few weeks now. Life and my thinking and my recovery felt really heavy and I was doubting my progress and my worth and wondering if I could keep on going on this journey at all! I wanted to give up! I wanted to hide! No more group! No more therapy! No more anything! I was tired of fighting!
I went for a walk and for some reason took a detour and ended up on a bench in a part of the park I would never go to while out walking there! More and more I believe everything happens for a reason and I now feel that I was meant to sit there on that bench at that moment! And that I was meant to meet the little robin!
I believe that he was sent to me today to help me! I am sure he was sent to give me back the hope that seemed to have left me these past few weeks! He was sent to help me to see that I have got the ability and strength to continue on! That I have the ability to free myself from ED!
Now I haven’t lost the plot completely and I am fully aware that robins can’t actually speak!! What I heard while I sat on that bench, under that tree in that park was my own voice! And maybe it just took my encounter with the little robin to help me to hear it clearly through all the noise!
Now as I sit here and reflect on it all I’ll ask myself what I learnt from my encounter with the little robin earlier today???
I will listen to my own voice!
I can do it!
I am doing it!
And…..
One day I will be free!
Nx
