Twisted Perceptions

There once was a bird, a beautiful bird with metallic plumage and long beak that could beat it's wings fast and fly long.

There once was a good man, corrupt at the edges but holding out mostly, had big ambitions but little talent so wasn't strong.

That bird flew free and the man in his captivity was jealous and broke the bird's wing so he could rob it of what he missed.

And the bird didn't know what happened and trusted the man, for such is often Nature's way, too kind when help is offered to resist.

The man set the bird's wing and aided in recovery believing himself virtuous and saying to all who'd listen "hey look at me and my kind deed."

He lied and made promises to everyone and especially to the bird promising one day it would be healthy again and then freed.

Two things happened then that explain much about how this world works and what is going on in the shadows out of the light.

The first was the man grew a conscience that kept pricking him for what he'd done, something deep in him snapped and didn't feel right.

And the other was that the bird itself took to the kindness the stranger bestowed, and would not leave his side in newfound love and loyalty.

The man grew ever more frustrated with the bird for not flying away, and surely his guilt became unbearable with time as anyone could see.

Then one day it happened, the man in his anger threw the bird in the air very far presuming it would rise up and have to fly.

But instead in it's fierce devotion the bird plummeted to the ground believing it's wing still broken and the fall caused it to die.

In his utter grief at his callous act that had grown from selfish jealousy to brutal force; the man truly believed he'd killed the bird, so slew himself of course!