Little Bird // Sample Chapter

Little Bird by Ashlee Craft - Cover

 

Little Bird

a little bird
hopping along
thru the impending
rainstorm
persevering
& finding what thrives
amongst the raindrops

 

The Journey Begins

setting out in the
early morning just as the
sun is beginning to rise
with a pack on your back containing everything you’ll need
to find yourself along the way
a map of your soul to show you where to go
a compass to tell you when you’re in the right place
a flashlight to guide you thru the dark forests
a set of wings to help you fly over obstacles
a raft to go on the ocean with
words of wisdom to sustain you
a book of knowledge to feed your mind
a journey to record what you see
& your own soul
you walk for a while & suddenly
it occurs to you that you don’t really know
who you are
or where you’re going
& all the road around you looks unfamiliar
& your compass is spinning
& your map blows away
suddenly you know it’s up to you to find your way
you know something has to change
but you’re worried
you’re worried that you won’t like things once they’re different
worried that things will turn out wrong
it’s okay to be worried
but you’ve got to learn to let go
because until you let go
there’s no way you’ll ever know
just how far you can
fly

 

Welcome

the journey just beginning / a journey to discover what you want / what your dreams are / where you belong / who you are / the journey is just beginning / the magic carpet of infinite possibilities & infinite joy & infinite beauty surrounding you everywhere / everything you need is right in front of you / everything you’ve ever needed has always been within your grasp / you are not lacking anything / you are everything

you can make your dreams come true / I believe in you / I believe in you / I know you can do it all if you just keep trying / you’ll make it

as you take a walk thru the pages & you skip around & stop to contemplate what the meaning of life really is, remember this

many have searched / & spent lifetimes pondering / thinking / dreaming / about what life is about / but in truth / you could never find the definition of life

because it’s too infinite & too wonderful & too beautiful & too free

to define / if you look for the meaning to everybody’s life / it takes you back to the beginning of the circle / back to / where you started / where it all began /

because in truth / the only truth is the truth within / the only meaning of life / is what you say it is / what you get out of life / what you want out of life / what guides you / what makes you smile / what makes your spirit soar / what makes you feel alive

that’s what life is about
& remember this – life is what you make it
make it fantastic
there is only one meaning to your life
to make it your own

 

Something Wonderful

always believe that something wonderful is about to happen / because it is / your life is going to be wonderful / today will be wonderful / tomorrow will be even better / your dreams will all come true / good luck will follow you everywhere / strangers will show you random acts of kindness today / you’ll see many examples of just how beautiful the world is / you’ll find something you’ve searched for a long time to find / you’ll discover a piece of yourself that was missing / every day is a new life waiting to be discovered / every day is another chance / every day is a canvas just waiting to be painted upon / make it beautiful

 

Learning to Find My Strength

I’m learning
learning
who I am
& learning to go confidently
to where I feel is right
I’m tired of being afraid
afraid that things won’t work out
afraid that I’ll never be good enough
afraid that I’m really a failure deep down inside
I’m tired of being confined
tired of being chained to things which no longer hold true
tired of being confined to these molds
tired of being held back by my insecurities
I’m tired of this sorrow
sorrow that I’m not going anywhere
sorrow that drags me down
sorrow that tells me that I can’t do it
I’m ready to prove all of them wrong
& show them
what it means to fly

 

I Feel Like You’ve Forgotten Me

there used to be something real, something tangible between us / me sitting there, all those times, all those hours months days, warmed by the glow of your kind words & communications & looking forward to seeing you / sometimes it wasn’t much – just a quick note to say you were thinking about me – but it was enough / it was enough & you were always there for me / & I thought I could always count on that – you being there

but you’re not / you’re not there any longer / by choice choosing to leave it all behind / & when I discovered what I discovered I felt like I didn’t know you any longer

& I’m glad / so glad / that I didn’t waste my time trying to forge a deeper well within the grasp of your abilities / I’m glad I didn’t seek out closer companionship / because things would still be the same

& it’s not the fact that you’re leaving that upsets me / it’s your choice & you’re free to choose what you want to / you’re free to say goodbye if you wish to do so / it’s your loss / you’re the only one who’s missing out / & I understand why you were so slow & subtle about it all – maybe I felt the same way, with my dwindling words written to you & everything / maybe I felt that it was nearing its close / you’re free to move on – & maybe it’s time / you’re not the person I used to know / maybe it’s time you moved on & went with everyone else that you know & love / because I know that for such a long time you never even told me anything about yourself / things I’m sure everyone else knew / I have no problem with moving on

but what upsets me / the only thing that upsets me is that for such a long time I had this false sense of companionship / & suddenly that’s gone / suddenly there’s no one else to depend upon / & I’m all on my own / all on my own / all on my own again / & it’s a loneliness that sometimes nothing breaks thru / you were there – or rather, my illusion of what I thought you were – & to that, I could relate to / in that I found comfort / you were that connection to the world outside / & now it’s just me / me & them / swirling around in some kind of roundabout of only us only us only us / like there’s no one else / like I’m alone / like I’m the only one

 

The Wheel

it’s all up to me
it’s all up to me
where I go & what I do & who I decide to become & who I am
it’s all up to me it’s all up to me
& you’re certainly not going to stop me
or stand in my way
I don’t like your definitions
of what a life is supposed to be like
wake eat work sleep
& do it all over again
all the way until you die
but with that schedule
it’s like you die inside much sooner
or never begin to live at all
you tell me what I’m supposed to like
supposed to do
but I don’t believe you
I don’t believe you
the wheel keeps turning
& I keep changing

 

Sometimes I Just Don’t Know

sometimes I just don’t know
what I’m even doing
or where I’m going
but then something reminds me
why I keep trying
sometimes days aren’t good
sometimes I miss out
& end up at the bottom once again
but I know I’ll climb again the next day
climbing with the sun as it rises
& there’s so many good things in each & every day
even if things go wrong & I fall
so much happiness
even if I don’t comprehend, understand, or see any at all
sometimes I just don’t know why I try
my mind says that it’s no use & I’m wasting my time
but my heart says I’ll reach it & I’m doing fine
I always try to listen to my heart
it knows the way
sometimes I wonder why I keep moving on
but then I remember
why I began in the first place
I remember that it’s time to move out of this place
away from here
away from my sorrows
away from my fears
it’s time for me to become something big
instead of this person who hides
under the leaves at the base of the tree
it’s time that I was the person I’ve always known I was
it’s time I was free
sometimes I don’t know how I’ll do it
everything seems to be going wrong
sometimes
everything seems to be going against me
like swimming in the sea
but I’ve built wings
they’re getting stronger every day
& with these wings I have built
I’ll fly over the sea & away
away away
far away, far from here
to the land I have dreamed of
to the meadows of gold
it’s my destiny, it’s all up to me
my choices are mine alone
I think I should start following my heart
learning to trust that it knows where to go
even when I do not
I think I should learn to trust my heart
it knows the way
it knows what will make me happy
it knows what I want & it knows what I need
encourages me onwards, gives me strength to succeed
I trust in my heart because it is my map
& in following it, I cannot lack
it knows where I should be
& how to get there
I will follow my heart
I will follow it thru doors to anywhere
if I follow my heart, I cannot go wrong
& I’m just learning
that I am so strong

 

Dreams

dream / dream wildly & freely / dream as freely as birds fly in the sky, as the planets rotate, as stars shine / dream as freely as the flowers bloom, as the trees wave in the breeze, as the ocean waves crash upon the gentle shore / dream as freely as beams of sunlight shine, music floating thru the air, as freely as wishes floating thru the night sky & to the stars / there are no limits to dreams

dreams are beautiful / it is our dreams that show us who we truly are

do not ask yourself what the world needs / ask yourself what makes you come alive & go do it / the world needs people who have come alive & you ought to be one of them / the world needs people who live life the way they believe / the world needs people who believe / believe in themselves & believe in their dreams

the world needs you

go out there & do it

 

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