The little birds

Ten thousand little birds one day
decided they must fly away.
No mummy bird or daddy bird
was there to give a guiding word,
but seasons turn. They could not stay.

The journey, it grew hard and long.
As hearts grew heavy, wings grew strong.
Some men said what they did was wrong,
and so they sang a lonely song.

One third were shot down in mid flight,
another captured in the night
and caged and sold for the delight
of men who don't know wrong from right,

so barely one third reached our shore.
I wish that there was many more.
We welcome them with open arms
and promise to preserve from harm
these little birds escaping war.