I hear the hadedas call

As I lie in my bed.

They announce the sun’s arrival,

Their songs echoing in my heart.

The early morning sunlight streams in,

And the dogs sneak into my room,

Begging for a little bit of love.

I rise with the hot African sun,

And life is good.

I play with my siblings and cousins;

We eat sweets until we’re stuffed.

Grandma and Grandpa laugh at our antics,

And our parents are glad to let us run free.

But life doesn’t stay this simple.

I fly back to a different world,

And the song of the robin awakens me

Instead of the cries of the hadedas.

The world keeps spinning,

And I fight against the turning,

Flying back to the hadedas and happy memories

As often as I can.

Years fly by faster than I do;

I travel across the globe,

And a new bird wakes me each morning,

But I will never forget the hadedas

And the African sun that warmed my face.

The cousins have moved away;

My parents try to hold on to me,

And Grandma and Grandpa are long gone.

But the hadedas still cry to me,

And my heart aches with each note.

I hear the hadedas call,

And I know that life will never be the same again