One Day….

…is today…birds flew from the cage…I say hoo-ray!  I wrote that phrasing which belonged to a longer poem way back in the late 70's in New York.  I had moved from the Village to Brooklyn and I was working nights behind the counter in this Hamburger/Nicoise Salad Dive in the Village on Sheridan Square.  I took the A Train home every morning after work and I remember trudging up the stairs feeling woeful and muttering under my breath, "one day…"  As if "one day everything will be OK"…I did this for weeks.  I lived in this funky space, which was actually the parlor floor of a brownstone that was in the midst of renovation.  The two rooms were filled with my even at that time most colorful junk. Amidst the chaos, I had a large birdcage with 6 beautiful finches that kept me company….One morning after work…I woefully walked home to my little "funkment", tired and unhappy…I opened the door to the "funkment" and fell inside.  After a few minutes, I noticed that the door to the birdcage was open.  There were no birds inside… I had forgotten to close their door to the cage when I was changing their water.  My eye trailed to the open window where all 6 birds were resting on the sill.  Like a fool I raced to close the window and the cordon bleu finches flew away into the Brooklyn morning…free.  As I type, I reflect on that moment and how one day has become Today and here I am…I made it past those lonesome days…I have tasted freedom and flight and sometimes like a fool, I still race around trying to close windows and stifle my liberation.  Quite frankly…all of that is just fine.  I am enjoying this movie and I am awakening in the audience…letting out a big yawn and stretching my limbs…preparing to fly from the window sill…..

 

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