Once upon a time, there was a Man. He was not an ordinary Man, but a Man of great wisdom; a leader of men and those true to The Way. He was a teacher and a protector of the weak. He was complete in all things, except that He was alone.

One night, late in the winter, just before spring opened it's eyes, the Man came across a group of seekers and He stopped for a while to watch and to listen. As fate will somehow have it, that same night, a little bird fluttered in, her wings wet and useless... a fledgling. The Man saw her and watched as she flitted from here to there, until finally, the Man spoke to her. The little bird felt that the Man was somehow different from the others that she had met before Him, and so she listened to what He had to say. After a time, she realized that, although she feared His knowledge and feared the things that He asked her, she continued to listen to what He told her.

Days, then weeks passed, and she continued to listen to His words, yet found herself trying to run from all that He told her. she did not want to hear all that He had to say, and would sometimes say things to the Man that angered him, or do things that she knew might displease Him. Yet, she paid no attention to what she was doing, because she did not understand why she was acting this way, until one day, the Man tired of the little bird's actions, and told her that He was leaving. He told her He had been foolish to think that such a fledgling would understand His words, and that the distance that was between them was much too great. The lonely, little bird became even more scared when she thought about how her life would be if the Man stopped talking to Her and left, for she had slowly begun to realize that His words carried the truth that she had been searching for. The little bird begged the Man not to go, and told Him that she would listen to everything that He said to her from then on. The Man thought and thought about what the little bird told Him, and finally said that He would stay as long as she would start hearing the words and accept them. The little bird agreed.

The months passed, and the Man made her His own little bird, and she felt her wings begin to dry and strengthen with every lesson that He taught her. There were times when she angered Her owner, but now when that happened, she cried, for she knew that He was displeased and disappointed in her. He made her confront the feelings and beliefs that were hidden deep down inside of her, and again, she cried, for although she knew that those things were inside her, she knew that she could no longer keep them hidden from herself, and especially from the Man. He seemed to reach down into her very soul and pull out the undesirable parts of herself, and forced her to look closely at them. He made her open her eyes when all she wanted to do was to close them tighter. But she did what He asked, because she had come to trust Him and knew that He cared for her, and the darkness that had surrounded her for all the years of her life seemed to slowly peel away; layer by painful layer. she listened to Him, she learned from Him and her wings began to strengthen even more. He questioned her, He tested her, He gave her all the knowledge that He possessed inside of Him... and she grew stronger because of Him.

Then after many, many months and many, many lessons, the day came when He sent for her... to see if His little bird was ready to fly... and she went to Him. He showed her all things that she had only imagined, and all the words that had passed between them for so long became their reality... a reality that encompassed her mind, her body, her heart and her soul. she knew then, that she belonged to this Man completely, and it thrilled her to the very depths of her being.

The Man then tethered the little bird, and held her even closer to Him. she accepted His tether, for she knew in accepting it, her wings would begin to grow stronger through the bond they shared, and she would at last find her freedom. she knew that through Him, she would find enlightenment, and would finally be able to face those things that were hidden deep down inside of her; those feelings and beliefs, and through Him, she would be able to cast them aside and be able to live a better life... a life of self-truth and honesty. Through Him, she would be able to live The Way... and she would continue to learn and grow. she knew that through Him, she would one day spread her wings and fly, and by doing that, make Him proud of her.

There is no ending to this story, for the little bird still walks her path, and the Man still leads her. she has grown, and learned, and found things inside of her that she never knew were there... strength, desire, passion. At times, she still fears, but she knows that the Man will protect her, and with every new lesson, her fears ebb a little more. her trust and respect for the Man has grown day by day, and she now understands that He knows what is best for His little bird, and that He would never allow harm to come to her in any way.

she knows that because of this Man, that one day, she will not only fly, but she will soar... for He has shown her The Way, and leads her on her path to enlightenment.

Thank You, Master

Your little bird...

~ lark