Story Written by Stephen Rogers
Bird Jar by Martin Brothers Pottery
What? You think so you're so big? Look at these muscles. These talons. This beak could rip a dozen chunks out of you before you even puckered your lips. Sure, you're taller. So what? See these wings? Two flaps and I'm landing on your head. From there, without even breaking a sweat, I've reached the roof of this building. A tree on top of a mountain. The sky's the limit for me. I can fly so high you wouldn't even see me until I swooped down at you from out of the sun. And by then it would be too late. You'd be dead meat. Calling me squat. Humans. Ground-lovers. You want to know tough? I can take off my head. Really. Internal storage for nuts and berries.
Worms. Chunks. I'd like to see you try that. Come on, tough stuff. Take off your head. I dare you. Double-dare you. No? Just what I thought. It's so easy for the likes of you to come in here, make fun, act dismissive. You and your good-for-nothing arms. Your tiny little toenails. Lips. Ha! But I'm not going to hold your faults against you. Live and let live is my motto. Unless you're prey. Then you're mine. Anyway, maybe later we can go outside and soar. Oh, that's right, I forgot. I'll soar and you can stand there and watch. You can always borrow some binoculars so we can see each other. Humph. Think you're so big. You're wasting my time. Walk on. The art that most moves me is the art that seems captured mid-motion. I look and see not only a frozen moment, but understand how the subject differed a second ago, and how the subject will differ a second from now. That sense of movement creates a story arc, or at least allows me to imagine my own. These stories I've contributed are not the first I've written in response to specific works of art. Feel free to visit www.stephendrogers.com if you'd like to learn more about my writing.
Author's Statement