Lessons from a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Your existence is a miracle.
It matters not your size or shape
Gifts nor limitations
Obstacles nor achievements,
You exist in the family of created things
On purpose and purposefully.

You are meant to take flight.
Avoiding stagnation
Observing seasons
Perching only for respite to refuel your journey.

Hover, fly-backwards sometimes,
Listen to the music of your soul
And operate in its rhythm,
Release the energy of your red gorget
As it manifests in your physicality.

Your sustenance is in life’s sweetness.
Feed on that which nourishes you,
Refuse to ingest the sour, questionable.
If it doesn’t taste good,
Move on to find a steady source of replenishment.

Fiercely defend what is important to you.
Refuse to be intimated
With those agreeing and disagreeing
Posturing for and against
Your survival depends on it.

Carefully choose your environment.
Life is short,
Don’t stay somewhere
That could lead to your demise.

Seek to understand those who are different.
Community and kindness sustain me,
In fact, you might say my life depends on it.