The Swallow's Summer

The swallow was perched high upon the gable of the farmer’s barn above the door. The cows and sheep were out grazing in the meadows and the fields. The farmer was locking up his horse in the barn and feeding him some hay for supper. His wife came out and the farmer said to her, ‘It seems that winter is on its way. The sun is moving south and it will be six cold months of ice and snow. I hope that there is enough feed for all the animals. It seems like we're in for a harsh winter this year.’ His wife agreed and after she had left to go do her chores back in the house, the swallow asked the farmer with great concern, ‘If we are in for six months of cold and snow, and there is hardly enough food for you and your animals, where will a little bird like me find food for himself in the long harsh winter ahead?’ ‘You have wings and can fly away after the sun once it travels south. If I was you I would follow its path to the southern lands where it will be summer while it is cold here. There is bound to be plenty of seeds from the southern harvest to feed you and your whole family down there.’ So, as it grew colder month by month, the swallow decided to follow the man’s advice and steady his long forked tail and splendid feathers to fly south after the sun. Once he got there after a long and tiring flight over mountains and streams he saw that the sun was indeed shining way down south. He forgot all about the northern lands and its icy cold winter months. For six months himself and his family fed on their fill of seeds and grain from the plentiful southern summer harvest. But soon the cold would set in here as well when the southern summer was done. He would then ready himself to fly back north to his home on the farm where once again there would be plenty to eat from the rich northern crops. And so it came that the tiny swallow always followed the sun south and north going after the warmer weather and the plentiful food supply that the summer brought. An eternal summer of flight and freedom for the little swallow to enjoy his whole life. Forever flying free in the warm breeze and sunshine. The only child of the eternal summer of love. Warm love needs warm wings.