Fly Little Bird

Fly little bird, fly to me, fly little bird, won’t you try?
Try little bird, lie to me, lie little bird, won’t you fly?
Cuckoos lay eggs inside other birds’ houses;
That’s how their children grow strong.
Wise parents know when to grant their young freedom --
Who says the cuckoos are wrong?
My mother was human, but father wore feathers;
He hasn’t been seen since he flew.
And I am the child of their very strange union,
And I have been left here with you.
Cuckoos are cunning and cuckoos are clever;
That’s how they’ve lasted so long.
Cuckoos can hide, never showing a feather --
Who says the cuckoos are wrong?
I’ve learned to be careful and never take chances;
I’ve learned to conceal what is true,
For I am a cuckoo -- yes, just like my father --
And I have been left here with you.
I’m the voice in your head, I’m the cuckoo beside you,
The angel you dread and the demon inside you,
You’ll dance to my tune when it’s my hand that guides you,
Singing ‘cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo to you too,’
You’ll sing ‘cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo to you too,’ oh,
Fly little bird...
Come, let me see all your dreams and desires --
It’s not like you’ll hide them for long.
A crack in the eggshell is all I’ll require,
And I can crack you for a song.
The patterns are simple, the rules are complex,
And one and one’s not always two.
But I am the shadow you see on your doorstep,
And I have been left here with you.
False truths, true lies, what a surprise;
Let me tell you what to do. I’m the cuckoo calling you.
Think once. Think twice. Take my advice;
There’s no way to run or hide when the thing you fear’s inside.
I’m the voice in your head, I’m the cuckoo beside you,
The angel you dread and the demon inside you,
You’ll dance to my tune when it’s my hand that guides you,
Singing ‘cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo to you too,’
You’ll sing ‘cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo to you too,’ now --
Fly little bird, fly to me, fly little bird, won’t you try?
Try little bird, lie to me, lie little bird, won’t you fly?
Fly little bird, fly to me, fly little bird, won’t you try?
Try little bird, lie to me, lie little bird, won’t you fly?
Fly little bird, fly to me, fly little bird, won’t you try?
Try little bird, lie to me, lie little bird, won’t you fly?
Written on: 2005-01-24. Seanan McGuire