While We're On The Subject Of Birds... A bunching of feathers crawls through the air, gripping and pulling itself forward. It stops, caught on a column of air. It hovers, as if it thumb its nose at Newtonian science. Only it does not have a nose. Or a thumb. But the sentiment remains. ~ A hole of fire tears open the sky, piercing the clouds. Apollo showers his children with his grace. From his gaping maw comes the birds - thousands, millions of them - tiny and black, swarming from a tasteless sky like seeds from a dragonfruit. They circle and dance, their small brains executing flight patterns way beyond their comprehension. Their bodies fuse together, assuming the form of the dervish. Twirling, faster and faster, feverish now, howling with mania, clawing at their wrists, drawing blood, shrieking for more, it can't flow fast enough. In a burst of energy, a release that shatters the clouds around them, they explode in religious ecstasy, showering the planet with newfound spiritual discoveries. ~ On stilts everything looks easier. Silver flashes just under the water's surface become a source of energy and life, easily snapped into spring-loaded beaks - two dozen beaks spinning like blades on a soft white sphere. A jumpy eye locks into position. Hissh. Splush. Thpt-thpt-thpt-thp. Shrik. Diptdiptdipt. ~ When times are dull, find yourself a gull. -Traditional Croatian Misconception ~ The owl was unaware of his wisdom. He had heard of owls being wise, especially the older ones. His granddad (rest his soul) was one of them, as far as the owl could remember. But then again he had heard of owls being foolish too. The idea that his entire species would be viewed as a pillar of wisdom had never even crossed his mind. The truth is the owl was, for a bird, quite ignorant. That's not to say he was stupid - ignorant and stupid are two totally different concepts. He was simply ignorant, and in his ignorance he found simplicity. Simple things were just easier. So why the questions? Daily (a note: the word "daily" to an owl actually means "nightly") they would pile onto him, causing him to fluster and grab at the air in an overly dramatic fashion. People would ask him about gift ideas, astrology, diet advice, stock market tips - there was no limit to how ridiculous a question could be. And he never could give answers. Owl pellets, sure. He could show off the range of motion of his neck. He'd even offer to help with pest problems in barnyards. But he just couldn't get the hang of the whole question-answer format. They'd come with a question, and they'd leave with another. It was all too confusing, and far from being simple. Frankly put: the owl did not care for the situation. ~ Sandpiper, Sandpiper You're a small bird. Sandpiper, Sandpiper Have you heard? You're a small bird, With tiny legs, And little eyes, Your puny wings, Laying mini eggs, Inaudible cries, Hiding all my things In all my wee places You're just pocket-sized, Now I've covered all bases, And you're ready to be baptized. Sandpiper, Sandpiper You're a small bird. Now Sandpiper, Sandpiper Of sin you are cured. END Back