Random Act of Metaphor: The Last Flight of the Sparrow

Hmmm, was the last flight of the wounded sparrow a sign meant especially for me?

The sparrow took flight as I walked down the sidewalk toward it. The best it could manage was a fluttering, laboured flight six inches off the ground into the middle of the street. It rested there perplexed at its plight and pondering what its’ options were.

I saw the car heading toward it and thought: Fly, brave, little sparrow! Another six feet to safety! But it was unaware of the danger. The car passed over it in a matter of a second or two. The defenceless sparrow was nowhere to be seen as the car continued on down the street.

It is a scene that is likely played out dozens of times a day. A broken wing is the kiss of death for a bird. Every moving object becomes a threat. But a 3,000 pound rolling hunk of metal is a cruel executioner.

You may think it is a stretch to believe that the end of this ill-fated sparrow’s life was timed so that I would witness it. But consider that I am an avid birdwatcher and the odds go up. A person with no special interest in birds might not have noticed its demise at all.

Whether it was nothing more than chance timing or a true case of kismet, witnessing the incident reminded me that life is fragile and that none of us know when the end is coming. And, particularly sobering, it underscores that the moment of death can unfold in a few seconds when all seemed well.

The last flight of the sparrow with a broken wing – a random act of metaphor to remind me not to take one moment of life for granted and to treat each today as the most important day of my life.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.