Hatched Poem

Snugly cocooned in a ball of warmth,
Stillness and darkness envelopes me.
All I can hear is my own heartbeat,
Slow and steady and comforting.
But now it starts to flutter,
Racing excitedly, waking me
From my peaceful slumber.
My body senses that it’s time.

I wriggle about in agitation,
Getting hot and flustered.
The air is not filling my lungs,
I start to panic, writhing wildly.
My home, my sanctuary for weeks
Has become a prison.
I long to break free-
To stretch my tiny wings.
But my limbs are weak and puny,
I struggle against the fragile shell-
A concrete wall to me.
My beak taps urgently, frantically
Until at last a little crack appears.
I push with all my might,
Puffing and panting and cheeping
Until finally my head emerges
And I taste the air for the first time.
I shiver and squint against the light,
But there’s no going back now.
With a final forceful effort
I flop feebly, hopelessly into the hay
Bits of shell still stuck to me-
A little ball of fluff with legs.
And then I see her!
Large and warm and comfy.
I nuzzle into her soft feathers
Safe and content again.
Tomorrow I’ll explore the world
But for now my little eyelids close
And I rest, exhausted,
Dreaming of the blue sky.