{"sf1_id":865634,"sf2_id":"Xnry6prm","title":"The Sky Felt Red The Day He Left","author":"Vye Riosaki","words":947,"posted_at":"2015-05-24T23:15:00.000Z","tags":["Avian","Duck","Epic","Love","Poem","Rhyme","Story"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/865634-the-sky-felt-red-the-day-he-left","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Xnry6prm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/e1/94/e1941f9e-29fb-4b88-9f0e-74df1fc5bf4c","description":"I put in a lot of thought to this little story. The duck never had a name. At least he's happy now.","content":"This ugly duckling had joined the army\n\nHis mom never taught him anything she knew\n\nHe was then shot down for his love of guns\n\nIt was his gun that fired from the one he loved\n\nThis foul duck done what he only knew\n\nAnd hit as hard as he could\n\nHe swung like Babe Ruth and hit like a train\n\nHis heart never knew of this kind of pain\n\nGrowing up he hardly had any friends\n\nHe fought those who tried to help again and again\n\nHis future, like a road, had nothing but bends\n\nAnd the paths he took were all dead ends\n\nPretty soon he learned of cat and mouse\n\nPlayed cowboys and Indians inside the house\n\nHis mom always frowned when they were out\n\nHis mind made up his fists solved all his bouts\n\nThis ugly duckling now flies solo\n\nSearching anywhere for a home\n\nGPS broken, don't know where to go\n\nHe has seven directions they're all he knows\n\nWithin he was all he could ever beat\n\nThe only sound there was is his heart beat\n\nThis pain of his his stubbornly keeps\n\nAll this hurt went on for weeks or months,\n\ntill one night in the summer heat\n\nHe decided to give up to say he's weak\n\nNow alone by the pond near a road\n\nThis dismal place he now calls home\n\nThe weeds here have all overgrown\n\nThe scenery had such a nice undertone\n\nFor one like him this place wasn't new\n\nHe's been been here before that's true\n\nBut not like this not after what he went through\n\nNow this place isn't like the one he knew\n\nIt felt far too empty\n\nIt was all he could see\n\nFelt like this was all he could be\n\nOf course he'd accepted this gladly\n\nThe water foul, the fowl all spoiled\n\nHe turned around and then he toiled\n\nSleepless nights, his anger boiled\n\nHe fell down under, he was in turmoil\n\nAlone and unwanted, he went through a few years\n\nAlone and unwanted, he had no more tears\n\nThe ugly duckling went and thought he heard\n\nHe thought he heard words he had once whispered\n\nI love you, they whispered, I love you, they whispered.\n\nThe birds they sang, the birds they twittered\n\n\"Like roses, all things will die and wither -\n\nAt least, a little bird had told me this last winter.\"\n\nHe believed every single word the crow had said\n\nHe thought that what's the use, we'll all be dead\n\nHe sunk deeper in the dark,\n\nHe sunk and held his chest\n\nHe had no more hope\n\nfor the best\n\nTime passed him, a whole flock of it flew\n\nHe hung around bars, he hung around booze\n\nTalking trash, living in junk, that much is true\n\nHe spent nights in parks or alleys, trying to snooze\n\nWhatever he thought he quickly killed it\n\nImagine the pain of always doing this\n\nAny grain of hope was always worth killing\n\nFor after love, there's no life worth living\n\nA bitter bird in the cold city all alone\n\nNo place he could call home\n\nWith out being kicked or hit or shit on\n\nNo family, no friends, there was no one\n\nAs the wind picks up and ruffles his feathers\n\nHe could swear he heard a soft whisper\n\nThe words unclear, the message felt\n\nSome feelings here, and then it left\n\nSomehow he felt better afterwards\n\nThere was anger, and happiness\n\nSome hope and depression,\n\nBut nonetheless he felt better\n\nAlone, but okay\n\nSad, and then happy\n\n\"If only there was more time for me,\"\n\nBefore he dies, he made a promise\n\nTo write a few words for himself\n\nOnes that renewed his strength to live\n\nOnes that made him feel better when he's hurt\n\nIt took some time, it took a while\n\nIt came from the night, when it came in sight\n\nThe words came fast, and they felt right\n\nThe words he found made him cry\n\nThe moon looked upon the crying figure\n\nAlways watching, trying to en...sure\n\nHim that he wasn't a monster\n\nNor an ugly duckling\n\n\"You're never alone, you'll always be found.\"\n\n\"Just give it time, or some thought, you'll find a way out.\"\n\n\"Feelings are things you speak, you cry, or shout,\n\nSet them free, and you'll feel better, no doubt.\"\n\nThe duck felt himself shake\n\nThe duck felt himself crack\n\nThe message was too much to take\n\nThe message had come far too late\n\nNear the end of his rope, nearly out of cards,\n\nHe tried his best to turn things around\n\nHe tried to rush to the sun, he rushed to the plains\n\nHe ran and he fell, and he hit his head\n\nHe reached out to the future\n\nHe reached out over the ridge\n\nSo close to tomorrow's promise\n\nYet held back by today's problems\n\nAnd weighed by yesterday's moments\n\nHe reached out to happiness\n\nIt came to him then, the words he searched for\n\nHe's not sure when, but he heard these words before\n\nProbably from the moon, from the water, from the unknown,\n\n\"Until you've nothing to give, you're never alone.\"\n\nHe let out a sad sigh,\n\nHe felt his head look to the sky\n\nThe duck saw the moon way up high\n\nHe looked up and gave a smile\n\n\"Old friend of mine, as you can see.\n\nI'm near the end, that much I can feel.\n\nNo one's here to see me leave,\n\nSo thank you for being here with me.\"\n\nThe moon watched the duck start to sleep\n\nThe bird let out a breath quietly\n\nTomorrow is a place he'll never be\n\nSo for Now, he'll live here happily\n\n  \n  \n\n"}