I Want to be a Bird

When I come back in my next life
I want to be a bird.

I’ll be free from political strife,
And my ways won’t seem absurd.

I’ll soar and sing and play all day
Riding the currents of air

I’ll see the world in a different way
And will say that life is fair.

I won’t be limited to pleasing others
With no regard for myself.

I won’t be labeled whom I’m not
Nor confined to a narrow shelf.

When I’m a bird I’ll be so free
With a panoramic view.

I will flit from tree to tree.
I’ll wing to somewhere new.

I won’t be stuck in one small place
That feels like a prison cell

I’ll be able to see the world
And I plan to see it well.