The Valatoos

Its wings were bent
It was underweight
And its hair was
Beginning to fade
From the vibrant fushia
It had been
To a washed out mauve
Its laugh that
People came from miles
Just to hear
Was now nothing more
Than a faint ripple
Of that inaccessable ocean
Of pure joy
The curative powers
The creature was treasured for
Were no longer potent
In fact,
Upon gazing at the
Once mystical beauty
In its protective encasing
The people felt instant sorrow
What had they done?
They had only been trying
To keep it from harm
And wrongdoing
Guarding it from those
Who may covet its abilities
Sully its glossy coat
They had bent its wings
To prevent it from
Flying into danger
They were afraid of losing
This blessed spirit that
Had come so willingly
And freely to them
But now,
As the people looked at
Its emaciated body
And its inward posture
They knew that they had
Done wrong
They decided to let it free
They tried to unbend
Its wings
To let it fly
But when they pushed
Upon them
The wings they
Fell to the floor
The creature's hair turned
From mauve to brown
It could no longer infect others
With exuberance and passion
It began to speak
Asking to be paid
For the good deeds
It had done.