They watched

They watched as the bird rose

From the ground

And they watched

Her fall

And they laughed

She was an imposer’s shadow

Couldn’t talk or sing

Couldn’t share

Her empty emotions

Couldn’t pray for help

She couldn’t fly

In the clouds

Couldn’t escape from them

For all her efforts to be

Just another human

Came floods of laughter

Driving her away

She couldn’t be a raven

She couldn’t be a girl

She couldn’t be what they wanted

So she just stayed still

The raven stayed there

Wishing for death

Wished to fall further

Into the ground

To live with the other

Nothing-things

She wished she could be like them

Wished she too could laugh

Wished once again

She could fly

Just like the other birds

They watched as she begged them

For help or death

They laughed as they saw her

Try to fly away

They thought she was just like them

Until she flew away.