Bald
He admired the bird from far away. He wanted to get closer. To touch her beautiful coat of feathers. So he acted like birds do. Stood on one foot, flew through the air, sang little songs, acted scared when strangers came near. The bird let him closer and closer. She let him close enough to wrap his neck with hers. They used each other’s bodies for warmth when the sun went down. But the man could not help himself. He felt bad about it, but touching her feathers was no longer enough. He needed to have them. So while she slept, he would pluck one from her beautiful coat. One wasn’t enough for her to notice at first, but soon, there were lots of feathers missing. She got scared, she held onto him for comfort. If he was there, surely she wouldn’t lose her beautiful coat. One-by-one, the feathers were gone. Then one night, the bird could not truly sleep because of all her heartache and fear. She caught the man stealing one more feather that night. That feather being pulled felt like her very heart was pulled from her chest. She opened her wings and beat him in an instant! How dare he steal her beauty, her protection. How dare he betray her trust! Now, she sits high in a tree. Looking down on him, they both cry when the sun goes down and they do not have the other for warmth. She carries a bald spot as a painful reminder of betrayal. He carries her beautiful feathers. Funny thing is, they just keep getting heavier and heavier for him, but he cannot let them go.
