Song of the Solitary Koel

 

At dawn’s first hush, I perch in silent strength.

Night schooled my heart to master hidden flame.

Anger may rise like heat beneath my wings,

Yet still I choose the branch of self-control.

The forest hums with honeyed, fragile lies.

Not every call that echoes means me well.

Some smiles are traps disguised in golden light,

Some vows dissolve like mist at break of day.

I learned that fairness does not rule the trees.

The just may fall while cunning shadows rise.

So I rely upon my tempered wings,

Before I lean on any borrowed nest.

The wind once carried those who swore to stay;

They vanished like dry leaves in restless gusts.

From empty branches, I rebuilt my poise,

And found my strength was rooted deep within.

I know the difference now in forest ways:

Between loud flocks and souls who rest in peace.

With some, the silence settles soft and warm;

With most, the air grows heavy with pretense.

I learned to say a quiet, certain no.

To leave the vines that tighten round my flight.

To guard my heart from hollow, selfish praise,

And keep my song for spaces that are true.

Each scar became a map beneath my breast.

Each storm inscribed endurance in my bones.

The past may murmur through the trembling leaves,

Yet I stand balanced in my present sky.

Alone does not mean broken or deprived.

In solitude, my truest voice takes form.

No need for crowns of fleeting admiration;

My worth is not decided by applause.

For I am wind-born, watchful, and aware.

A quiet flame no tempest can command.

Life teaches without pause, without regret-

And I have learned to honor what I am.

So now I choose the branches where I land.

I sing where respect answers back in kind.

And when I rise beyond the darkened storm,

I rise not wounded , but refined and free.