excerpt from The Thornbirds...

"There is a 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 its nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, swinging among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to outcarol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen and God in His Heaven smiles. For the best is only brought at the cost of great pain... Or so says the legend..."

~ Colleen Mc Cullough

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This excerpt reminds me of "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats. A masterpiece of a poem in its own right, which I shall discuss another day.

~ Rads