Longing to Break Out

Photo and text by Sr. Jon Julie Sullivan, SNDdeN

f_jj-bird_wing_500pxZoos are not places I like to visit. Over the years it has dawned on me that not all zoos have fences and cages and we wild people are often in the crowd. But a friend needed pictures for her art work and we went to look at apes.

Actually, she did.  I went to the swans. Elegant, quiet, sleeping beauties. And they were all black. I had never noticed the year of growth for the feathers, or how abundant the supply was. God has such a wonderful design sense to share with us.

I put my hands together and bowed to apologize for penning these creatures up so far away from home.  Been thinking a lot about other creatures penned up, pinned down, longing to break out.  Maybe it's because I picked up one small black feather.