There is a
large bird cage in the front garden of my parents' home. A chicken coop, where many birds were once
kept including a few chickens. The wire mesh that constitutes the walls of the
large cage is now full of holes. The wear and tear of the years and
lack of care and maintenance. All the smaller birds have flown away, the
chickens are also gone, the street cats got to them.
Now the
large cage is bare and abandoned, except for two old turtles who seem to have
lived forever and will never age or die. The ancient creatures bury themselves in
the sandy ground of the cage during the cold months of the year, and munch idly
on a leaf of lettuce during the warmer months.
For years
and years the husk of a cage stood, tired looking and eerie. The shadows of boxy
bird houses hanging from the sides dark with a fathomless single eye.
A wild bird
flew into the cage in search of leftover seeds. The free bird comes to the cage
often.
