viernes, 26 de octubre de 2012

II. A portrait of the Bird King



From TheDeath of the Bird King
by James Knight


The Bird King cuts an impressive figure

when he's out for a Sunday stroll!



Hands clasped

    behind warped back,

          beak jabbing with every
                 twitchy step!

He's quite the patriarch.
 

*

The Bird King grants audience to only the most  
interesting
of people. Having entertained them
and heard their stories,
he eats their brains.

*


Decrees, numerous

   and arbitrary

are issued by the Bird King.

He bans TV, chimneys,

singing, pears.

His subjects have to wear hats
made from murderers' teeth.

*


The Bird King loves his aviary.

In pretty cages: children, the homeless,

   artists, lunatics.

Pigeons strut past,

       cooing and chuckling.
  
*

          The Bird King's dimensions
     are ambiguous.
        To most people
      he's enormous;
             to birds,
                tiny.

It's purely a matter of perspective.

*


The Bird King's palace has no doors.

Lacking the mental apparatus

to cope with their simple mechanisms,

he smashed them all long ago.


*


The Bird King delivers a moving oration:

"NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING."
  

 Words and image by James Knight. You can buy his wonderful books and e-books here.