Songbird

By Noah Zuckerman

Florence

I walked down a cobbled street,
With tired steps and weary feet,
When suddenly, from a distant gate,
A songbird began to serenade.

Its melody was light and sweet,
A soft refrain that couldn’t be beat,
It wove through air and city sounds,
A peaceful voice that did not drown.

I stopped, amazed, to listen close,
As each note seemed to compose
A tune that touched the heart within,
A reminder of where life had been.

Its tiny chest, it rose and fell,
Each breath a story it would tell,
And in that moment, I could see,
The simple joy of being free.

For though the world rushes on,
This bird’s song lingered, pure and strong,
And in its notes, I found a grace,
That life’s beauty isn’t in the race.

I learned to pause, to take a breath,
To listen close, to slow the step,
For in the quiet, I could find,
A deeper peace, a gentler mind.