THE EAGLE AND THE CHICKEN

A man once found an eagle’s egg
and put it in the nest
Of a barnyard hen  – and the eagle hatched
And grew up with the rest.

He grew up with the squawking chicks
He didn’t look the same
But he scratched the earth
And dug for worms
He played the chicken’s game.

The eagle clucked and cackled.
He made a chicken’s sound.
He thrashed his wings
But for all these things
He barely left the ground.

“That’s as high as chickens ly” the eagle had been told.
And years passed on
Until one day
When the eagle was quite old…

He spied a lyer very high
Making circles in the evening sky
“What’s that?” he asked in awe.
And marveled in great wonder
At the grace and power he saw.

“Why that’s an eagle,” someone said.
“He belongs up there, it’s clear.”
Just as we, since we are chickens,
Belong, earthbound, down here.

The eagle just accepted that.
Most everybody does.
He lived and died a chicken…
Because that’s what he thought he was.