A Lonely Bird

   "Before I die I would like everyone to know how I feel. I am very old now and I have lived and will die alone in a cage in a back room.
    I suffered the torment of angry voices because I made too much noise, or was too messy. I have never known the comforts of family life. I have never been invited to enjoy an evening with my family. I have never been scratched or talked to kindly. I see my family for five minutes each day when they bring me food and water; never at the same time.
      I have so much love in my heart to give them and now that I am near the end of my days, they will never know how much I loved them. I forgive them for the way they treated me, but my heart is heavy with sadness for all the birds who live and die alone."