Part II

From the moon I swung when all of a sudden the song of the night birds came to an abrupt stop.
And in mid air I hung.

Confused I tried to rock the swing, as I did I heard a loud snap. I looked up, it was the pearl string.

With all my strength I held on to the seat praying for solid ground to appear beneath my feet.
As I held on fearing for my life, I heard another snap, it was the second string.

I cursed the night birds song. I questioned that the words of the form were true. As the air I was falling through.
While pondering why I had swung on the moon, my fall was stopped.

My hand grasped tightly by another, this time warm. I looked up it was the form. It pulled me up onto the island in the sky. I saw the sapphire tree was gone, turning to the form I asked why, but the form to my question would not reply.

Instead it took me to the other side, where instead of the moons soft beams glowing through the night I was blinded by rays of bright sunlight.

I shielded my face with my hand. For a short moment I felt myself floating through space. When I opened my eyes I found myself lying in the sand.

Listening to the waves caress the shore, I stood up and on the beach quite a crowd I saw, but I felt alone. Then a stranger directed me to a place everyone claimed was my home.

And ever since then neither man nor beast will answer me the question of why the night birds song had ceased
And nary a song of the night birds will my mind recall ever since from the swing I did fall
But still I stand waiting to grasp the forms hand once again and hear the songs that the night birds sing. ~H.J.W.
~F.M.N.

The Night Birds

Beginning to feel restless underneath the golden light, I stepped out into the darkness to take a midnight stroll.
Becoming mesmerized by the moons sad glowing smile I heard a sound I’ll never be able to describe with words. It was the song of the night birds.

Delighted by the songs they sang, I tried to find from where the songs came. After wandering around to no avail a pixie who in a rain puddle did sail, began to pity me.
She tapped my foot and led me to a sapphire tree.

She told me that the birds since their birth had sang in this tree, but the few that found the tree, the birds they never did see.
Amazed I glanced up at the sparkling boughs, but the night birds from me hid.

The birds they sang, it began to rain and the pixie on a jasimine petal floated back out to her sea.

Left to myself I thought to try and climb the tree, when I heard the night birds cry, “stay put or you will slip off into the endless sky”.

Looking down I was given quite a scare, for I was now on an island drifting through the air. There was nothing in sight, but the clouds, moon and stars.
The night birds sang, “are you afraid, do you find this at all strange, do think it bizarre?”

Looking up into the tree I replied to what I heard, but could not see.
“I feel as if for all this time I have been wrong and now I’m where I belong.”

The night birds laughed, “you must swing on the moon.” I heard them rustling about in the tree and rope ladder of blue silk rolled down to my feet.

I asked the night birds where it was the ladder led, when a form on the ladder gave me it’s hand and said, “They are The Night Birds they sing what they will, but not a song of theirs will remain in your head once you’ve gone home to your place under the hill.

The night birds stayed silent so I tooked the forms hand and as soon as we touched throughout my body ran a chill.

Up the ladder we climbed. Tossed by the cool wind, we climbed and climbed. Through a blinding white glow we went. Then I found myself in a cool passage of stone. I looked for the form, but found I was alone.

As I walked on, ivy crept up the walls. Finally I came to a door at the end of a hall. I turned the knob, alas, the door was locked. So out of desperation I knocked.

I heard the lock turn and the door by the form was opened. I smiled faintly and stepped through to the other side. Said the form
“I see you try and smile your trouble away, but they still remain lurking inside. I can tell by looking in your eyes.”

Ignoring the comment I continued to breathe in the perfume of the sweet plumeria the grew in the center of the room.

The form bid me follow. Said the form, “Do you not wish to swing on the moon?”
Once again I took the forms cold hand. We walked down ivy covered earthen halls. Through mysterious gardens of silver we walked.
When we came to a forest of sapphire trees. The ones in which the night birds sing.

Through the forest of trees I spied an opening into the starry night sky and in it hung a swing. I stepped up and touched it’s white pearls strings.

The cushion was made of white silk and the seat of sapphire tree. I turned back towards the form inquisitively.
“Do you wish to swing on the moon?” it asked.

I looked out again into the starry night sky. Then I looked down and saw how high above the world was I, but no sooner had I looked down when I felt myself begin to die.

Frightened I turned back to the form and asked why.
“Swing on the moon.” was what it said
“But I fear for my life.” was my reply.

“You die already, what good will it do to die without having tried to swing on the moon - swing on the moon. You will either die or save your life. How will you know if you do not overcome your useless fear and try.”

Finding truth in what the form said, I gathered my strength, determined a tear I wo

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