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.