Micro Monday - July 29, 2024

The Bird

I could start with an initial “Welcome to the Blog!” post, but I’ve always found those boring to read, and I bet they’re even more boring to write.

So let’s start with a story. After all, that’s what you’re here for.

The Bird

The bird isn’t to blame here.

Whatever instinct told it to fly up and away came from a world without cars, roads, drivers.

Still, you’re kneeling here on the asphalt - you stop when you hit something, we have our instincts too - looking down at these ruffled feathers, this frail chest and twisted beak.

But don’t worry. You’re not to blame here either.

Instead, get back in your car - now six minutes late for work instead of four. And wonder, as you drive, what kind of song it used to have, and whether you would recognize it if you heard it.

This one came together over a few hours on Sunday morning. My wife and I were staying with some friends in a cabin in the Rockies, and I tend to wake up with the sun, so I had a few hours to myself before anyone else stirred.

It started with the word “beak,” which eventually grew into the image at the end of the third paragraph. As soon as I imagined myself looking down at this bird I’d invented (and promptly killed), I found myself wondering what it sounded like. The last line appeared all at once, which gave me a middle and an end.

The rest came together bit by bit, as people woke up and we gathered in the living room to fill mugs of tea and coffee and nibble on leftovers. I’d think of a line and pull up my phone to change the wording of a sentence, cross out an unneeded clause, split or combine paragraphs, etc.

I like very short fiction. I think my first three publications were 100 words or less, and my next three were all under 1,000 words. There’s something about a story you can read in the space of a long breath. Going forward, I’ll try to post one of these every Monday around lunchtime (chaos of the universe permitting), so if this is your thing, subscribe and check back on Mondays for more.