Back Story: For the Birds by Andrew Brazier
The geese gathered around me as I sat on the table of a picnic bench casting the crumbs at the gathering flock. First, a few, then several. Soon I was hoisting the bread that left my fingertips at a rate of a crumb per second just to keep the geese at bay. In the midst of this onslaught, I ran out of food and the rush was on. Well, unlike Michael in “For the Birds,” the geese did not continue to pummel me nor did they deliver a message, but I did realize something. It was all about the bread.
The more the thought process for this story came into shape, the more I found it a metaphor for life and its dysfunction. Michael has an obvious problem: birds are after him. We all have that voice inside us that always tells the truth but we never listen to, the same one that insisted to Michael the birds were after him. After his girlfriend, boss, and mother rejected all that he felt was true, he went on a determined quest to uncover what he already knew. His doubts, manifested by those closest to him, were laid to rest.
When Michael returns with proof that the voice inside was in fact correct, he is once again denied satisfaction. His girlfriend, who saw the bloody flesh and feathers, merely closes him off. Those who witness his demise submit him for psychiatric evaluation, and Michael is left to digest these facts alone. In life, there are things we go along with even when we know something isn’t right, something is out of place. From the end of the story, would Michael be wise to stay away from the park and maintain a normal existence, free of ridicule? After all, we all have our birds….
Andrew Brazier currently spends his nights punching keys and exhausting pencil tips for the sake of his fictional sanity. His work is currently featured in the summer 2011 issue Rose & Thorn Journal and slated for an upcoming issue of Conceit Magazine. The habit of writing, for fun, has kept Michael entertained since college and, he is seeking publication for two novels. Contact him at brazier1@gmail.com.
Really enjoyed your For the Birds, and the crumbs you shared with us about its creation.
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I was just noting in acomment to another "back story" writer that I love seeing this process at work: how a small incident triggers something in us that we need to explore further. And in stories, yes, we exaggerate the situation, take it to its full potential. When that ends up revealing to us a metaphor on life and an understanding of something we've been feeling, it always feels so worthwhile. That's when I know my subconscious or whatever drives the writing process is a healthy and magical thing.
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