Artisanal Birds
Zeddie stood in the middle of the concourse.
Spinning in circles with outstretched arms.
The busy crowds maneuvering to get around him.
Some made faces.
Zeddie did not care to see their faces.
Arching his neck to look skyward at a flock
of artisanal birds just under the glass enclosure.
Suspended by cords that were largely invisible.
Zeddie loved to fly with the birds above the crowds.
They had accepted him as one of their own.
Even though he was not a bird.
Zeddie knew as much.
He figured the birds knew it as well.
But they were gracious in his presence
and marvelous animals.
When the officers arrived, Zeddie was pulled
down out of the sky by officer Hablo.
He was glad to see officer Hablo and went
with him for a ride in his car.
Catching up on all Zeddie had missed
migrating down south and then
back again.
Officer Hablo wanted to know about the birds.
Zeddie told him they were marvelous
animals.
About the Author: Ryan Quinn Flanagan is a Canadian-born author residing in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada with his wife and many mounds of snow. His work can be found both in print and online in such places as: Evergreen Review, The New York Quarterly, Cultural Weekly, In Between Hangovers, Red Fez, and The Oklahoma Review.
More By Ryan Quinn Flanagan:
“He Brought His Canvases Over”
