The beauty of humanity, is that even after thinking that you were about to face your darkest hour, you still find yourself, at some point, playing Guitar Hero III with your nephew days after his birthday. Such an odd thing, the two of us, somehow bound by neighboring birthdays, so utterly different from one another and yet, so perfectly complimentary.
I play guitar, and yet, I suck at the game. What great amusement he takes in this.
The day before, I had experienced a sense of dread that shook me. Call it a throwback from my father’s family, with all of their superstitions - a rogue cell fleeing from sensible thoughts and a forward-thinking mind. It sank upon me as I walked out of my office, looked out onto the water of the canal that snakes through the area.
Birds, in great numbers, thousands of them, flocked in the trees, along the power lines. Their cry was nature’s symphony. It was an Alfred Hitchcock casting call. What odd terror there is in a gray sky, thick, heavy clouds, a cold wind and cruel, black-eyed birds, watching you.
I steeled myself for the possibilities. Things have leveled out - still so recent the other trials I’d survived, yet far away in my cynical mind. What other weight could rest on my shoulders? What could God take away from me that was now heralded by a screaming beacon of a thousand birds?
I inhaled and resigned myself to what might come.
And still I wait.
Oh, i don’t know, D. Birds flocked around Snow White, too. And, other than that whole poisoned apple thing, she had a pretty good gig and a happily ever after.
(i don’t mind sharing my silver, on occasion.)
elise
Comment by MangledTulip — December 3, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
It’s strange but this evening an enormous flock of ducks flew overhead, so unusual in a big city, and like you i wondered what they herald. But unlike you i don’t think the message is for me but for all of the humanity that live here.
Guitar hero, i played it with my son this week, so hard to concentrate for so long when i haven’t played music in many years. Have you seen the mods that have been done by creative kids to the guitar, my son shared that with me too, a close bonding session as we laughed and critiqued them.
Comment by jayne — December 4, 2007 @ 5:29 am
Maybe it’s time to go hunting. S
Comment by MistressS — December 4, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Humans are such strange creatures. We reassure ourselves in how progressive our thinking and automatically display hope though our actions while hiding from our natural instincts with conscious obtuseness. Would that we had retained our natural animal instincts. Animals know when to head for higher ground while humans stand and marvel at receding water before the tsunami hits. Rarely are we saved by either inaction or dread.
Comment by Kaz — December 4, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
perhaps the birds didn’t signify some dark trial ahead, but simply a helpful reminder to write a bit more….
Comment by renee — December 11, 2007 @ 7:03 am