The Thorn Bird

There's legend about a bird
which sings just once in its life.
More sweetly than any other creature
on the face of the earth.
From the moment it leaves the nest,
it searches for a thorn tree
and doesn't rest until it found one.
Then singing among the savage branches,
it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine.
And dying, it rises above its own agony
to out-carol the lark and the nightingale.
And the whole world stills to listen
and God in His heaven smiles.
For the best is bought only at the cost of great pain.
So says the legend...

Apparently, I went through life missing watching The Thorn Birds