How to paint the portrait of a bird

I ran across this poem by French poet Jacques Prevert. It is a beautiful description of life.
How to paint the portrait of a bird

First paint a cage
with an open door.
Then, in the cage, paint something for the bird,
something useful and beautiful, but simple.
Then take the picture to a garden
...or a park
...or a forest.
Put the picture under a tree.
Hide behind the tree.
Don't speak.
Don't move.
Sometimes the bird comes quickly.
But it can just as well take years before deciding.
If the bird doesn't come right away,
don't be discouraged.
Wait.
Wait years if necessary.
It doesn't mean that your picture won't be good.
When the bird comes, if it comes,
remain absolutely silent.
Wait till the bird enters the cage.
Then gently close the door with your brush.
Then, erase the cage, one bar at a time,
being very careful of the bird's feathers.
Now paint the portrait of a tree with the prettiest branches for the bird.
Paint the green leaves and the summer breeze.
Paint the smell of the sunshine and the flowers,
and the songs of the bees and the butterflies.
Then wait for the bird to sing.
If it doesn't sing, don't be sad.
You did your best.
But if the bird sings,
it's a very good sign.
It's a sign that you can sign.
So then, very gently, take a feather from the bird
and write your name in a corner of the picture.

***and in the picture book I have with this poem as the text, it has a wordless series of the little boy artist taking the canvas from the forest where he completed and signed his name, back to his bedroom where he began the painting. He settles into his bed to sleep and while he is sleeping, the bird comes off the canvas and flies freely out the open window to the world outside.
The last page says
(Tomorrow you can paint another one.)

I love this story, of creating your life, waiting for what comes, and loving what you love enough to let it be what it was created to be. The illustrations are by Mordicai Gerstein and nearly brought me to tears. I love it when a book speaks to my heart. Always seems to be children's books that do that.

Here's to waiting for the bird to come, waiting for its song, and being just at the right place for it all to happen when it is supposed to...may it be a lesson well learned.