By Kwesi BISSUE
So there was a bird and a bird-catcher
A nightingale and a hunter
There was a prey and a predator
There the vanquished vetted the victor
The elusive bird finally capitulated
The persistent hunter richly rewarded
The singing nightingale meekly surrendered
But it had a plea to sing
A last song to sing
“Oh dear hunter
Oh brave one
Listen to me
Before you do to me
What you will
Oh hear my cry
Before you decide that I die
Oh brave one
Here I sing out to you
The three golden nuggets of wisdom
Wisdom to make you reach any height you stretch to reach”
The hunter cocked his ear to hear
Wanting to hear the first of the three nuggets
There the nightingale sang so loud, so clear
“Hold on to what you have
Never let it go”
After the hunter heard the first
He was eager to learn the second
The nightingale sang that out so clear
…even louder
“Don’t cry over what you cannot have”
Rang the second
The hunter wished he could hear the third in a second
Yet he waited with bated breath
But the nightingale would sing the third much later
“Oh dear one
Oh brave hunter
Grant me freedom if you want the third to hear
Give me a breathing space to think to sing the third
So the nightingale the hunter let go
So off the nightingale fled on wings
To perch on the highest branch of the farthest tree
So far away from the hunter’s reach
“Now the third I’m all ears
So dear nightingale, sing”
Said the hunter, there so eager
The nightingale now breathed free
From the top of the tree
Now the hunter itched to hear number three
“Oh dear hunter
Oh brave one
I gave you my word for a third
So I will not deny you the third
But do well to repeat the first
The first nugget of wisdom”
Sang the nightingale from the top of the tree
“Oh singing nightingale
The first of the nuggets still holds in my mind
I will repeat just so you know
‘Hold on to what you have
Never let it go’
Just what you said”
Well said, brave hunter
Bold bird-catcher, I say well done
Why did you let me go then?”
“Ouch!” shouted the hunter
Why did I let you go?
Why didn’t I hold on to you when I had you?
Oh nightingale
How do I get hold of you again?
Now you are out of my reach”
“Oh dear hunter
Oh brave one
You are sighing over what you lack
Sorry you can’t have me back
If then you remember the second nugget
Tell me in a second”
“Oh elusive nightingale
The second I recall so well
So I wail
The second nugget has not failed
For I cannot hold on even to your tail
It is a second test I have failed”
“Oh dear hunter
Oh brave bird-catcher
‘Don’t cry over what you cannot have’
This is the second nugget you have
If you want to reach or be rich
Add the first to the second to get the third
The three golden nuggets of wisdom
‘Once you find it
Never let it go
Hold on to it till thy kingdom come
Once you let it go
Don’t cry to again hold it’
So there was a bird and a bird-catcher
A nightingale and a hunter
There was a prey and a predator
There the vanquished, vanquished the victor
