A poor orphan girl named Maria
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Was walking to market one day
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She stopped for to rest by the road side
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Where a bird with a broken wing lay
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A few moments passed till she saw it
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For it's feathers were covered with sand
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And soon clean and wrapped it was traveling
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In the warmth of Maria's small hand
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She happily gave her last peso
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On a cage made of freshes and twine
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She fed it loose corn from the market
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Watched it grow stronger with time
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Now the gift giving service was coming
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And the church armed with tinsel and light
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An' all of the town folk brought presents
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To lay by the manger that night
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There were diamonds, incents and perfumes
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And packages fit for a king
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But for one ragged bird in his small cage
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Maria had nothing to bring
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She waited till just before midnight
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So no one would see her go in
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And crying she knelt be the manger
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For her gift was unworthy of him
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Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
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Maria what brings you to me
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If the bird in the cage is your offering
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Open the door let me see
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So she trembled she did as he asked her
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An' out of the cage the bird flew
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Soaring up into the rafters
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On a wing that had healed good as new
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An' just then the midnight bells rang out
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And the little bird started to sing
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A song that no words could recapture
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For its beauty was fit for a king
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Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
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To the cascade of notes sweet and long
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As her offering was lifted to heaven
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By the very first nightingale's song
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The Gift
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| Aselin Debison |
