#0031 | a bird alighted
Submitted by Robyn in Edmonton, Canada.
Here’s Robyn’s story:
“Once - when I was quitting smoking for the zillionth time, in my early 20’s - I went to a cafe called Future Bakery to write outside on the first spring day warm enough to do this. I had one last cigarette saved in my case for the writing/coffee experience.
I lit the cigarette up. I Inhaled deeply and somewhat sadly (as it was supposed to be my last cigarette) and placed my elbow on the edge of the table, smoking as I wrote a sentence in my writing book.
All of a sudden my hand got heavy - a sparrow was sitting on my lit cigarette as if it were a twig. I was torn between worry for the bird and wonder at the beauty of it, and the sorrow that this was my last cigarette - that I might not be able to smoke it all if the bird broke it (darn addictions!). Then my mind turned to wonder again.
I sat there - with a bird on my cigarette - and looked around me in mirth. Not one person noticed that I had a bird on my cigarette over the ashtray! It was a private little world but I wanted to exalt and laugh out loud in wonder! If I had, the bird would’ve flown. I could barely contain myself!
The bird nonchalantly hopped off my cigarette, landed on the table, looked at me and flew away. Then I hopped on my bicycle and went off to work.”
4 folks have left comments on this post
This has a cool 1950s movie poster feel to it. The black & white is awesome too
The drawing also captures the mood of sadness and regret of her story, too. Black and white was a good choice.
Clearly, the bird wanted a drag.
I want to know what sentence she wrote while the bird sat on her cigarette. And did she finish the cigarette after the bird flew away? So many unanswered questions!