Tale of a Mountain Bird

The voice of a bird bound to a mountain that is inspired by the experience of an individual being an advocate for their beliefs.

I have always been known as an unmovable mountain,
A stubborn object, a hard headed girl.
Always called so by the kind who relies on gold, glass, and pearls.
I was always the one to be feared, the one too tied into the ground.
Because in my blood, and in my veins, to it I am bound.

I am happy to be part of a mountain, a force, a string.
I am excited to drink from the flowing rivers overrun with salmon in Spring.
I am gleeful to pick the ripe fruit in the Summer, and lay in the beams of sun.
But I, unlike you, am willing to stay there, even when the warmth is done.

When the Winter plunges forward and the land is barren, I am who remains.
I am there to plant the tulip buds in the dead of the cold and rain.
I hold onto the grass and the falling leaves even when the nights get long.
So lo and behold when I stick around, and am blessed with March’s song.

I found my mountain when I realized you were quick to lose your own.
Too frightened to think you would have to be there all alone.
Too scared to face the simple fact that you and I both know.
You love to see the Summer days, but are terrified of snow. 

You will always live on the roaming planes flush with golden wheat.
You will always have a belly full, and desire for more to eat.
You will always be the one to roam in circles with your land loving herd.
But I’ll let you in on a secret— you will forever wish you could fly like a mountain bird.

I think that it confuses you how being tethered could set me free.
It is because I can go anywhere and build a mountain with my feet.
I can roam through the skies, travel the clouds, then land back on the earth.
Because my mountain knows that wherever I go, it is in service to her.

So I have always been labeled as the girl to be one with her creed.
But I, one day, can say I died with my mountain,
Where can you be buried?

Process

Throughout the process of writing this piece I reflected on what experiences I have had that influenced my voice as a writer, and advocate. It brought me to think about how my time at Girls Write Now has inspired me and sparked my need to truly amplify my voice through my art. I began by drafting a short poem, and then continuing to build upon the narrative being told. I eventually began to focus in on the rhythm and feel to the piece. Through this process I was able to hear my own experiences as a woman of color and activist truly shine in the words.