The little girl, whose name was Luna
Had passed the age of strollers.
She could perform a pirouette that left the public wowed
And knew which shade of blue to use to make the perfect cloud
Her room was truly charming; the walls were painted pink
And just above, up on the ceiling, there was a star that blinked
She hung the star all by herself, high up on Daddy’s shoulders
While mom encouraged her to speak and bring the sounds to life
But every time that Luna tried ( and though she did her best )
The letters seemed to move apart, like in a game of Scrabble
The words got tangled, upside down, some sort of spelling test…
‘You’re quiet as a mouse’ they said.
And let the issue rest.
Alone at last. Up in her room, under the fading light,
The walls were pink, her eyes were red ( from doing so much crying )
Was she under the silence curse, or was this her own doing?
She tried to move her lips with care… the sound felt terrifying…
‘There is no hope’, poor Luna thought ‘ I’m quiet as a mouse…’
And just like that, from tear to tear, and in a silent house,
Her eyes grew heavy, night drew near
While Dreamer’s weaver pulled his cords, the evening’s puppeteer…
A beat of wings, a gentle clink, a tap upon the crystal glass
Disturbed the silence and announced an unexpected guest
What brought him there, what was his quest?
‘A playful visitor’ – thought Luna ‘And one that does not rest…’
The bird with honey feathers spoke. His voice was sweet and clear:
‘The dusk, like magic, waves its wand, conducting all my trills
My harmony is born of love. I rest come morning, little dove’
‘You hear my inner voice?’ – asked Luna
‘Your heart’s the one that speaks, my dear’, replied the Nightingale
‘And if you want, I’ll pass my blessing. I’ll let you have my tweets!
‘Speak, little girl, and share your voice! There is no need to fear!’
But Luna’s eyes filled up with tears…
‘Oh, how I wish my words had life to fill each corner of the house’
‘But I cannot, because you see... I’m quiet as a mouse'
‘If you believe each word you hear without a second look
Your biggest fears will seem more real, like monsters in a book.
But if you ask yourself what’s true, and what you can achieve
Just like the threads inside a loom, your voice can start to weave’
The Nightingale tilted his head, his jade-dark eyes aglow
The skies were calling yet again; it was his time to go.
And just like that, he spread his wings and through the open glass
He flew sky-high leaving behind
A hopeful lullaby.
The witching hour had arrived, it seemed like time stood still.
The Moon above, all plumped and pale, was halfway through its journey
A queen at court, with stars as servants that followed her own will
Who sprinkled on the Earth below a dreamy sleeping pill…
The star that blinked, up on the ceiling,
Was gently spinning round and round, inviting her to dream
But Luna’s eyes were open wide, and lying there under the sheets
In her own room, in her own bed
She could not understand the words
The Nightingale had said.
She was as quiet as mouse. That was all true.
So why give it a second look? That’s all there is, that’s all she knew.
She turned around with a soft sigh and placed a pillow on her head
'Oh, quiet now, sweet Nightingale! I thought you flew instead!'
‘A Nightingale you said? Well, that’s a fun surprise. Let’s cheer!
How fun to touch the sky, just like a bird in play
I wonder what the cat would think. If only he could hear!’
This time, the noise had changed its sound.
It was not coming from the skies; it came from underground!
The chattering made Luna jump; oh my, that's something different!
For right beneath her cozy bed, she saw a happy sight —
A group of jolly little mice, all giggling with delight!
The leader of the mice exclaimed:
‘I see you startled, little girl, you can’t believe your eyes!’
‘To be all honest, Mr Mouse, I can’t believe my ears!
‘ I thought all mice were quiet. That was my truth for years!’
‘We’re not as quiet as you think
We squeak, we chirp, we whine and scratch
We fight, we cry, we dance, we run; we’re skillful acrobats
Especially when chased by cats.
But there’s no time for chatting now as we are all quite late
We’ve been invited to a wedding, we’re off to celebrate!
I hope the roar won't bother you, we’re quite a noisy batch!
And just like that, the group of mice continued on their way
As Luna watched in wonder, not knowing what to say…
‘Good morning, sleepy head!’ said Mom, while brushing Luna’s cheek
‘The sun is shining bright again, get up and have a peek!
The fluffy clouds like candy canes are waving from above
Go on and wash your face, my dear; a brand-new day to love!
The window was closed tight; no wings were flapping near.
There were no mice under the bed; no happy sounds to hear.
And Luna thought just to herself – ‘It must have been a dream’…
But then she understood at last what Nightingale had said
‘All fears, like dreams, are just not real, they’re simply in our head
We have the choice to let them grow or face them with a glow
What if I fill this quiet house with words that dance and play?
‘As quiet as a Mouse’, they said… That’s just a silly phrase
If I give it a second look, it has no meaning anyway!
The words she feared were just like threads, now woven into song,
A melody of courage, she'd carried all along.
“Good morning, Mom!” said Luna bright, her voice no longer small.
“I’m not as quiet as a mouse — I've found my voice through all.”
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