A lifeless bird once fell at my feet.
At the same moment, the seeds of a dandelion
drifted into the wind…
dreams and wishes released with quiet hope,
not knowing then that none of them
would come true.
I never imagined the bird would become
a symbol of something deeper within myself…
Its feathers scattered like my shattered heart,
both fallen and broken alone, unnoticed.
Neither could be helped.
One moment, both were alive, soaring, and full of light;
the next, both still, both silent,
And then gone in seconds.
Sometimes I wonder…
What if I were that bird?
Would anyone have noticed?
Is it wrong that I wished,
I could have taken its place, done something,
so that it could have flown longer,
soared farther; so that it could
see everything it had not yet seen?
Had it even been given the chance?
to truly live?
Maybe flying had become too heavy.
Maybe the fall was intentional…
Allowing the bird to feel a sense of empowerment,
A sense of control stronger than the fight to stay in the sky.
Maybe falling was the only way,
For it to feel free again,
when everything else felt too far out of reach.
Because that is how it begins…
spinning, spiraling, flailing in all directions
some noticing,
and others not at all.
It is strange how some people see it,
yet never whisper a word…
and how others notice,
only when it’s too late.
You walk around smiling,
eyes glossy, and drifting away…
Still, no one asks;
No one wonders.
They assume you are fine.
that you’re doing great,
because that is what you say.
You are. You have no other choice but to be…
This is you doing great.
Doing great just to survive.
Again, you smile.
Pretending.
You have become a professional.
It’s a full-time job.
One you are used to,
But it’s okay;
Because you are okay.
You have to be.
Because it isn’t just you.
You have kids.
So again,
You have to be.
But little do the people around you know…
You are that bird.
Slowly, yet very quickly,
falling from the sky.
Will they notice before you hit the ground?
Or only when the dandelion seeds
are blown far away into the wind,
and carried out of sight into the sky?
Maybe someone already has.
Maybe the seeds being blown into the wind,
were not a sign of endings,
but of new beginnings slowly taking root,
in places not yet seen.
And perhaps,
You are not falling,
but learning how to fly again…
this time higher,
this time stronger,
this time knowing,
You were never meant
to hit the ground.
Because God noticed,
long before anyone else did.
And then you remember,
He had you all along.
So instead of falling to the ground,
You fall into Him.
And in that moment,
You are reminded…
you are safe.
you are held,
and you were never,
not even for a second,
unseen.
Because you are His.
Copyright © 2025 Angela J. Stout.
This Is My Story 