I climbed up the karaka tree <br />Into a nest all made of leaves <br />But soft as feathers. <br />I made up a song that went on singing all by itself <br />And hadn't any words, but got sad at the end. <br />There were daisies in the grass under the tree. <br />I said just to try them: <br />"I'll bite off your heads and give them to my little <br /> children to eat." <br />But they didn't believe I was a bird; <br />They stayed quite open. <br />The sky was like a blue nest with white feathers <br />And the sun was the mother bird keeping it warm. <br />That's what my song said: though it hadn't any words. <br />Little Brother came up the patch, wheeling his barrow. <br />I made my dress into wings and kept very quiet. <br />Then when he was quite near I said: "Sweet, sweet!" <br />For a moment he looked quite startled; <br />Then he said: "Pooh, you're not a bird; I can see <br /> your legs." <br />But the daisies didn't really matter, <br />And Little Brother didn't really matter; <br />I felt just like a bird.<br /><br />Katherine Mansfield<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-i-was-a-bird/
