With a heavy heart,
I spread my wings and flew away,
For I knew that it was not to be.
So too must you fly away and seek
what is right for you;
The islands of happiness are far and few
In the great ocean of uncertainty.

But unless you embark on the flight of discovery,
you will never find them.

Be not afraid of the darkness,
Do not let despair halt your flight -
For there will always be other islands,
Which may lie just out of your sight.

But unless you carry the light of hope in your heart,
you will never see them.

An island might look fertile and you may think
you have found what you seek;
This might be the one
on which your happiness will thrive -
So nurture the soil as best you can,
And be patient... perhaps the seeds will survive.

But unless you till the soil with love and trust,
you will never grow them.

And, as only time will be able to tell,
The seeds you have sown may grow healthy, or die.
If they grow, then your journey has ended -
But if they do not, then again you will have to
spread your wings, and fly.

For if you do not, you will wither and die.

You must never cease the journey
Until you reach the island that is really for you.
Better to perish over that vast expanse of ocean,
seeking your island of happiness
Than to your own self be untrue.

© Dean Malandris
4th May 1998