Random Act of Metaphor: A Chorus Line of Blackbirds on the Wires
Hmmm, can we find comfort
in the mundane if we choose?
Every weekday morning on
my drive to work I head south on Dixie Road past Steeles Avenue. It is one of
the busiest intersections on my commute, but not just from the perspective of
traffic.
As I wait at the
intersection for the green light, I look up at the hydro wires which appear to
be encrusted with barnacles. But a closer examination reveals a chorus line of
blackbirds shoulder to shoulder numbering in the hundreds.
Blackbirds are creatures
of habit in this respect. They select a roost and occupy it persistently.
Flocking behaviour is particularly common in the winter months. Occasionally,
perhaps to stretch their wings, they launch from the wires all at once, circle
in tight formation for a minute or two and then return to roost again.
What is the point of
this rather mundane observation? It is probably a quirk of my personality, of
which there are many, that I find it comforting that blackbirds are so
predictable in their behavior.
A chorus line of
blackbirds on the wires – a random act of metaphor to assure me that there are
some things I can count to remain consistent in a world where relentless change
is the norm.
~
Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet
~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a 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
.
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