Two Little Cardinals

Two Little Cardinals, sitting in a tree
One made of alabaster, from gay Parie
The other made of silk and feathers, red No. 3
Sitting in a Christmas Tree

The bird made of alabaster looked to the right
And caught the feathered cardinal in his line of sight
And from that moment onwards like a pillar of light
He held her in his heart so tight

And just in case you wonder how an alabaster bird
Can have a heart to keep, well don't you say a word
Just play along and mute the thoughts that occur
If you've never taken in the absurd

The cardinal of alabaster chirped with a song
"Good day to you mademoiselle, are you alone
Would you like some company to keep you along"
But there was something wrong

The bird made of cloth and feather gave no reply
Said the bird of alabaster, "please don't be shy
I have nothing but love for you, I won't tell a lie"
Not even a flattered sigh

"I will love you til the sun no longer cares to shine
I will feather nests for you, each one its separate shrine
All you need to do is chirp, or sing or speak or whine
And I'll serve you, forever mine"

But the bird was silent still and the stone one came to see
She would never be as quick or quivering as he
Horror of the stoney bird came quick as it could be
She never would set him free

And so he stared in longing at this cloth and feather bird
Staring at the Venus fowl who never said a word
Every once in a while he'd swear he thought he'd heard
But nothing from the beak of bird

Then one morning, as Christmas came around
The children of the house were chasing their hound
Knocking off the alabaster bird from his found
He shattered into millions on the ground

And still in her perch, lay the cardinal of cloth
Staring quite beyond the tree to something far off
Outside the window in the snow white and soft
A Cardinal of flesh and blood