Feathers line the ponds’ paths.
The geese are in their molt.
They willingly pull feathers loose.
They do not fear their loss.
They know feathers are merely the surface
of who they are, a cultural statement,
not an identity.
They realize they remain geese
even if every feather is lost.
They poke no fun at their flock members.
They do not call them “geese in name only”.
They welcome the molt.
It comforts them to lose well-worn feathers.
Geese accept new feathers.
They know they can fly better
even if they look different.
They accept that different is better.
They are still members of the same flock.
They are still geese, just renewed and improved.
If only Americans could accept the molt
of culture and it well-worn surface.
If only Americans could rejoice in new feathers,
and realize they could fly better
and still be one flock.
We could learn lot from geese.
We could learn to fly in a vee formation
with everyone a leader sharing the point
and bringing the nation
into a new age with the strength and grace
to let go of the old feathers and old fears,
and fly free. If only we were like geese.
annarino writes 