I found the package under the stairs. It was large and heavy
and marked plainly with big black letters: Bird Seed. I took some
upstairs and spread them carefully across the backyard,tiny specks of yellow and brown mixed with kernels of white and oily black.A sprinkling of snow covered my seeds overnight. I was so disappointed, sure they were ruined. But that morning the ground was covered with dozens of tiny juncos, chickadees and snow buntings. Bird seed worked quickly. This was better than magic beans.
Birds are a difficult crop to harvest. As soon as I opened the door they skittered and took flight, a flume of small dark shadows, tiny wings silhouetted against the morning sky. They called back to me, a chorus of cheeps and chirps as they said their goodbyes.
They were the most beautiful things I’d ever grown.
You grew birds! Yay!
ReplyDeleteThis made me smile :)
ReplyDeleteI have never thought of it as growing birds...such a sweet piece.
ReplyDeleteThat is adorable! Now I'll never look at bird feeders the same again! So cute!
ReplyDeleteReally liked that one, Laurita.
ReplyDeleteMagical. Grow another one for us!
Fabulous! What a beautiful story. As Alan said, it was magical.
ReplyDeleteOh! I want snow! :-)
ReplyDelete"juncos, chickadees and snow buntings."
If I didn't know any better, I'd think you made those names up.
I have some magic beans. Will you trade me for some of your bird seed?
ReplyDeleteWhat fun this was! I loved it. Short and just perfectly leftfield.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. This one came from tidying the seeds in my garden shed - carrot seeds, pumpkin seeds, flower seeds...bird seeds. The juxtaposition made me laugh.
ReplyDelete