THE BEST BIRD IN THE FOREST
"Use what talents you have,"
Wrote Henry Van Dyke.
"The woods would be very silent,
If no birds sang there."
Maybe you aren't the best bird in the forest right now.
Maybe your warble is a little weak.
Maybe you are a little too long or too short in the beak.
Maybe your fine feathered friends call you a freak.
Maybe, just maybe, they don’t understand.
The heights that you seek
Fly higher, sing better, go on, go on.
Give it your best
Develop your talents
Lead all the rest
Don’t settle for worms
Or corn on the ground
But soar to the top.
Where the eagles are found
(First published in 1976)