Late autumn, cold wind, and a long golden hour afternoon painting the sky lost at the end of the sea. What a beautiful sunset. 

Drowning in my thoughts and hesitations. A pretty bird, standing close to me, seems to be appreciating the sunset, just like I am. There are hundreds of people on this beach, but it’s just me and her who are really contemplating this marvelous event. 

If I were her, I would spread my wings and chase the sun to make it last longer, but not like Icarus. This bird’s eyes have a spark. Is this bird as moved by this landscape as I am? Why do I care? 

What if she forgot what she is capable of, what if she is doubting her own nature? Why can’t I stop admiring her beauty and wondering these things? 

When the clouds became fire and the sky purple, all this rage of questions stopped. The wind, oh the wind, sweet and colder, caressed my cheeks, making me realize the difference between loneliness and solitude, while the bird was still. But she knew I was there. And she knew I was looking for her. 

If her eyes could speak, they would tell that she was taking the time before she wanted to use her wings for the first time and fly as far as she could. She would tell me she was not from there, but next to me, she felt at home.

Maybe this was just my fantasy, I felt I wished I could be part of this scene, but my mind was not even looking at the sunset, but its reflection in her eyes. 

Why has this bird moved me so much?  This is not the first time I’ve seen her. But I have promised myself not to approach her, because I didn’t want to disturb her perfect life. And here we are, once again kind of close. 

What happens to the birds who forget they can fly?

After that sunset, I have seen hundreds, but none of them ever made me feel like that. This question stuck with me, and I realized that some of us were too afraid to love, denying our own nature and not letting ourselves spread our wings and fly to chase our dreams.

I’ve never seen her again, but I think about her every day. Maybe in another life we can share another moment to let our souls speak about that wonderful sky.