BIRD SONGS

TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A FARTHING

I. SYMPHONY

there are All sorts of Birds making Various sounds at the Same time. the birds Can either not Hear the other sounds, Or they do Not Care (most Likely the Second option). it is Like all of the Birds have tiny Boomboxes (or Record players, if they are A more Old Fashioned bird), and are Clicking play at the Same time. it Is like all of the birds Are stuck in traffic with the Windows down, blasting Music from their cars or their Trucks. it is Like all Of the birds are in a Band and are Warming up before a show While the opening Act of Other birds are Already playing on Stage.

somebody Told me that I should Learn which birds make Which sounds (i Have heard that there is Even an App for this Type of thing), but I Disagree. which Types of birds are Flying around my property is None of my business. some Things are Better not to Know. sometimes i Think i Know too many Things already.

when the Crows fly High enough, their Shadows make them Look like Eagles, but They are Just Crows.

hummingbirds are Very Small but they are Also very Loud.

i Can tell the hummingbird and the Woodpecker by their Sound because their Sound is Also in their Name.

II. A LETTER FROM ROBERT SCHUMANN TO CLARA WIECK, LEIPZIG, DECEMBER 22ND, 1837

Do you hear, among the thousand happy voices calling you, one who whispers your name? You look around and see me. “You here, Robert?” you exclaim. And why not? I never leave you, but follow everywhere, though unseen. The figure fades away, but love and faith are unchanging.

III. DINNER AND A SHOW

there Is some Sort of Scene happening up on the Mountain. the vultures and the Crows started Howling, and All of the Birds are Howling now. they Must have found Something to Eat. the way All of the birds Fly around each other, Up and Down (up And Down), looks like a Ballet to us (Choreographed and well Practiced), but to Them, it’s Just Flying.

there’s a Mammal up there Now, crawling Around on All fours (reluctantly joining The Cast). i try To get a Peak but he Remains in the Shadows of the Pines (he’s More of a Behind the Scenes Guy). all I can Catch is Him Running, back and Fourth, on all Four legs, as if to Remind us that he is Wild (and that we, by Watching him, Are Not). despite This performance we Know, that When the Curtain is Called (and he Is Shrouded in Darkness), deep in the Night, and A Little Higher up the Mountain (where he Knows we can’t See), he Gets up on His back Two legs, and then Falls to his Knees, asking God for forgiveness, just like the Rest of us.

IV. A LITTLE SNACK

the Ortolan is a Small songbird. i Have never Seen one in person (nor Have i Heard what type of Sound they Make), but I imagine that they can’t be much Bigger than a thin Girl’s fist (possibly Even smaller). the Ortolan is a Delicacy in Some places (Mainly France, as the French are, over everything else, Sensualists at Heart), and it is Prepared by force feeding it (The Bird) until it is About to Blow, then Drowning it in Brandy, and Roasting it for about 8 or 10 Minutes. the Bird is Usually Eaten whole, traditionally With a Large Napkin placed over the Diner’s head–supposedly to maximize the Enjoyment of the Smells that the Toasted little Songbird has to Offer, but many Say that the true Reason for this veil is To Hide the Diner’s shame (for eating Such a delicate Creature in such a Cruel Manner) from God.

the Problem, of Course (for Ortolan enjoyers, that Is), is that God can see Your shame, whether You Are wearing a Napkin on your Head, or Not.

V. CORE VALUES

when You’re driving you have to be Careful because Sometimes it is Tempting to Close your eyes for A Second, to take a Little nap, or to Say a Quick Prayer, but You can’t do That because if you Do you might crash the Truck into a Tree and kill yourself and Maybe even the girl Sitting next to You in the Passenger seat. it’s Good to keep the Conversation going when You feel like Closing your eyes, it keeps the Rhythm at a upbeat Pace, perfect for Driving with your Eyes Open. i Love that old house. which One, baby? The one right up Here on the left, we pass it All the time. or not All the time, but whenever we’re headed This Way. you know what I mean. I do baby, I Do. the house on the Left is abandoned, and Falling apart. it has Red paint (faded) and White trimming (Dirty) and a Blue roof (Leaking). you Know who lived there, Right? no, Who? well I actually Don’t know his name. was just a Regular type guy though. had a real these Colors don’t Run attitude. like, patriotic? yeah Baby, thats right. he was real Patriotic. he had two kids, a boy and a Girl. the Boy was named Freedom and the Girl was named Bravery. stop laughing, i Swear to God! they even had a Dog named Liberty. these Kids were always running around all Over the place, from what I’ve heard they got Scooped up and driven home by every Mom in town at some Point over the years. and when The Moms on loan from the Community were driving them home they’d say What is it with you Kids? I think you Guys take your names a Little too literally. don’t you got a Momma of your own? and they Did, i don’t know her name either though. all I know is she was a Drunk. she sat around all Day drinking beers, which you could tell just By looking at her, i mean she was Real puffy and all that, and when the Community Moms dropped off her Kids that they found playing in a Ditch somewhere or whatever, they Would always smile and wave but then when they Got home they would say to their husbands, that Drunk, can’t even Keep her own God damn kids in the yard, what type of Mother is she, that type of thing. you know How it goes. they were Good kids though, if anything they just had a Little too much Freedom, no pun intended. they were Always causing some sort of Trouble, it’s like they Really Couldn’t help themselves. one time they were out on the lawn, Freedom and Bravery that is, playing with Liberty. now earlier on In the Day, when snooping around, Freedom found the old electric dog collar that they Used when they first adopted Liberty, and he put it back on her. He kept calling her past the line and when she would Come, she would get shocked. that’s Terrible! I know baby, it is terrible you’re Right. but kids are Cruel, you know that. they haven’t seen How cruel the world is Yet, so all that Cruelty is just stuck inside them. anyway, Bravery ended up agreeing with you, Because after Freedom had tricked Liberty 3 or 4 times into Getting shocked, she just Lost it. she was a few Years older and at that age girls grow like beanstalks, you probably were the Same, so she Just tackled him. and she said You want to see how it Feels? you want to See how it Feels? and she took the collar off of Liberty and put it on Freedom and clicked the button over and Over. Freedom obviously was Screaming his head off, and the dad Came running outside to see what was Going on, and when he Figured it out he Dragged them both by the Ear into the house and Took off his belt and Gave them a real whooping. they ain’t never Seen a whooping like this, I’ll tell you. sure he Gave them a little smack on the head every Once and a while, but Nothing like this. afterwords the dad said Are you two sorry? Are you Sorry now? and Freedom whimpered yes, i’m Sorry. and the dad said Bravery, what about you? and she just looked Right up at him, tears in Her eyes but holding them back, and said I’m sorry to Liberty but not to Freedom.

they did Keep a nice house though, I’ll hand it to them. obviously the Dad did all the work, he took pride in the place. from what I’ve Heard the whole yard used to be Red and white Flowers. the Blue were too expensive, he’d say. but people would Get the idea, especially with all the flags and everything else on the property. supposedly when he First planted the flowers, which took him a whole Afternoon at Least, he called his wife out, and she Reluctantly got off the couch, and he said what do you Think ma, isn’t it Patriotic? and she looked at the flowers, which alternated in little patches of Red and White and said it Looks like a Virgin on her wedding night out Here. then she went back inside, with her Heavy feet, slamming the Screen door.

they Kept a good house though, I’ll hand it to them. what happened To them? what do you Mean? i mean, why is the House all abandoned. oh. I don’t know. they got Old and died, or Maybe they moved down to Florida. Freedom is off somewhere, doing God knows what. Bravery has a Bundle of kids from what I’ve heard, got shacked up with a Doctor or something from the city. they’re Doing all right. and what about Liberty? Liberty, what about Her? where is she? Well Liberty, she’s buried right There in the yard.

i feel Good, baby. i don’t Even feel like i Need to close my eyes anymore. we’ll be there In an Hour or so. I take off my Hoodie, and underneath i am wearing a t-shirt that is the exact Same color as the hoodie i Just took off. a Sparrow flies right in front of the Window of the truck, missing us by just a Lick. hey babe, Look, that Sparrow is the exact same color as my t-shirt.