SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

THE WALKING BIRD by (me!) sandra, tvgp

the image that comes to mind is this:

sitting in the park. watching a group of birds -five birds- walking around on the grass.

four fly away.

i ask the 5th bird, i say, "you can fly too you know. why aren't you flying?"

and the bird just keeps walking around. "no reason." he tells me.

and i wonder about that.. if no reason really means, literally, there is no reason

or maybe just, i don't want to tell you why. or maybe, he himself doesn't know why; can't articulate the reason

...that even though he can fly. he chooses not to.

and i wonder about that too.

if it's really a choice. if the bird is in perfect health, has no injured wing.. and, at least, physically speaking, -could fly if he wanted to

why wouldn't he?

it makes no sense to me

unless i then consider that the bird is not in perfect health after all. that, while physically, the bird may appear, and in fact, is quite capable; there is an injury there of another sort

a spiritual one.

i ask the bird, i say, "do you fly when no one is looking?"

and he says, "no."

i say, "if you had more time.. would you fly if you had more time?"

"no." he tells me.

"are you self conscious?" i ask him, "do you fear you don't fly as beautifully as the others?"

"no," he tells me. "i flew as beautifully as the others the few times i did fly."

"well then," i say, "did you wish you flew better? higher? faster? than the rest -and that's why you don't fly anymore?"

"no." he says very matter of fact, "i'm happy just walking around on the ground."

and i wondered about that too

if this bird could possibly be so content and peaceful walking around on the ground; he was fulfilled.

"are you lonely when the others take off?"

"no." he tells me, sipping dew from a blade of grass

"we visit often enough"

and i just keep watching this bird.. watching this bird walk around on the grass.

every once in a while he moves his wings in such a way i think he's going to take off in flight

but then it turns out it was just an itch.. or the movement that comes with catching and eating worms.

and when i leave the park, when i walk away

i ask the bird, i say, "if i remained sitting in this park under a tree, reading a book, but never walked, even though, physically, i can. -wouldn't you find that frustrating? -wouldn't you start asking questions?"

"yes," the bird said, "i would have one question:

what is the name of that book?"

and i laughed at his wit as i packed my things and walked away

realizing

i forgot to ask if he was honest.

which cannot be learned through inquiry anyway; only observation.

posted by SHE @ 9:31 AM