text: The Gift\nby:Aselin Debison \n\nA poor orphan girl named Maria\nwas walking to market one day\nshe stopped for to rest by the road side\nwhere a bird with a broken wing lay\na few moments passed till she saw it\nfor its feathers were covered with sand\nand soon clean and wrapped it was traveling\nin the warmth of Maria's small hand\n\nshe happily gave her last peso\non a cage made of rushes and twine\nshe fed it loose corn from the market\nand watched it grow stronger with time\n\nnow the gift-giving service was coming\nand the chruch shone with tinsel and light\nand all of the town folk brought presents\nto lay by the manger that night\n\nthere were diamonds, incense and perfumes\nand packages fit for a king\nbut for one ragged bird in a small cage\nMaria had nothing to bring\n\nshe waited till just before midnight\nso no one would see her go in\nand crying she knelt by the manger\nfor her gift was unworthy of him\n\nthen a voice spoke to her through the darkness\nMaria what brings you to me\nif the bird in the cage is your offering\nopen the door let me see\n\nso she trembled she did as he asked her\nand out of  the cage the bird flew\nsoaring up into the rafters\non a wing that had healed good as new\n\njust then the midnight bells rang out\nand the little bird started to sing\na song that no words could recapture\nfor its beauty was fit for a king\n\nnow Maria felt blessed just to listen\nto that cascade of notes sweet and long\nas her offering was lifted to heaven\nby the very first nightingale's song