The Shadow Bird

First Bird went peck, peck, peck.

Second Bird went peck, peck, peck.

First Bird is annoyed.

He looks in the window,

He hops along the path,

He sips from a water bowl.

And Second Bird is always there.

When it rains, Second Bird goes away.

But not for long.

One day First Bird flies straight at Second Bird.

Ouch!

First Bird is taken to the vet.

His beak hurts,

And he feels lonely.

First Bird looks out the window.

There is Second Bird looking back.

Second Bird waits until First Bird is released,

And they fly away together.

♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward

Procrastination

Author Sally Piper’s quotation is a writer’s block-buster:
“Procrastination is a defence mechanism. It allows us to avoid the terror of other people reading our work. It protects us from criticism. It keeps us safe from failure” and I would like to add “it stops us from growing” so don’t let procrastination dictate the terms.

Mindfulness blogger David Cain of Raptitude wrote:
“It turns out procrastination is not typically a function of laziness, apathy or a lack of work ethic, as it is often assumed to be. It’s a neurotic self-defence behaviour that develops to protect a person’s sense of self-worth.” Don’t put it off, your writing is always better than you think!

♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward