How to Fly

Extending the wings of their newfound body,
the baby cardinals open their
fledgling feathers to the breeze.

The ground,
far beneath their feet,
terrorizes their early thoughts; looking
into the void of spiraling
wilderness and wildlife. The universe is as big
as the forest.

Their parents demonstrate the flight technique,
urging their young to try
learning to fall,
and in themselves finding
the courage to fly.

The ground, even from its distance,
is known to be soft;
covered in leaves promising to catch them as
they learn to navigate
the new unknown of the world.

Poetry and photography by Hazel J. Hall.