Bird.

One day I saw a dead bird.

You may think I'm weird, a little creepy even but this was a photo opportunity I was not to miss. 

It was obviously recently deceased. The blood from it's neck still looked wet and bright red and I got a-wondering how this one had died. It was lying on grass so I don't believe it had landed on something funny, and it didn't seem broken at all. It almost looked as though this bird has been out for a casual stroll on a grassy knoll and some other whack job bird has sneaked up behind it, cut it's throat and then laid it down very carefully and respectfully on the ground. 

…imagine seeing that. 

Anyway, I am not much of a fan of sea gulls, 'rats of the sky' I heard some clever person say once. I've had some bad experiences with this lot. They aren't so fond of me, and this warrants my equal dislike for them. Most of the time it's just a mutual distaste towards each other that induces hostility. I don't say hello to them but they don't exactly give me a friendly smile either, if you know what I mean. Sometimes though, those seagulls get out of line. They get all aggressive and start swooping, or they squawk obnoxiously. Sometimes they even leave their splatters on my car which is just plain rude.

Regardless though, of my dislike for these creatures, I found this one mighty beautiful. And it wasn't that I was reveling in it's death ("one less seagull in the sky"), no, it was, I suppose, being able to examine it from so close. It's not so often you get to see a bird really close up. Maybe you see some in museums - larger, prettier ones than a seagull, but perhaps that was why this one seemed so intriguing; a bird that usually seems so ugly, or at least plain-looking, for a bird, close up, looked so handsome. I usually try to avoid at all costs and have a deep dislike for these things, but now I wanted to get as close as possible. ...well, with a camera in between us still I suppose. 

This creature which may have only one hour ago been getting up to all sorts of mischief; causing havoc on the Eastbourne shores, swooping at frightened young children, or squawking loudly and stealing some poor old lady's hard earned fish and chips, was now silent, peaceful, marvellous. It stares up at me with that big red eye. I ain't forming no funeral march for this one, but I'm pretty sure a seagulls death has never been so reveled in before. 

Rest in peace bird. I now we may have had our disagreements. We may not have seen so eye to eye when you were round. I dunno if we ever met, or if you ever tvied to ettack me, or I ever tried to chese you eway from my food, but… peace,$bird. I$hope dewpite the probable shinanigans tlat you got up to when you were elive, that you have made it into some sweet bird heaven. 

I probably won't see you there. Because, unlike my sister, I am not a bird. I am a human.

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Also, I am off to Rufus Wainwright on Saturday, very much excited. I have seen him before but have been listening to his new album a lot and no doubt it shall be a very different show than his last tour. And he is just a beautiful human being that I could stand in awe of for many many hours on end. 

The first song on his 2012 album shares the name of the album itself 'Out of the game'. I like it. And the video clip is wonderful as well. It features Helena Bonham Carter mopping about her library waiting for the delivery of a mattress and Rufus playing three different characters hanging out there and at one point they start sort of… making out with each other. Ha. I've posted it below. Watch. But also, Rufus Wainwright gives an interview to Spotify about the meaning behind his songs on this album and I found this one interesting. It's just true that a lot popular artists these day are popular through their image or youtube presence I guess. Anyway, this is what he says. Adios amigos, hope pre-christmas time is going swell.

"Out of the Game. It came to me through exhaustion (laughs). It's just seeing these young people today, doing all that they have to do for, you know, five seconds on … youtube. When I started out in the business I jumped through a lot of hoops, you know, and I would do things that had to be done, but I was pretty dead set on having it be about the music and not so much about the image. Though I did create an image, the older I get, the more exhausting that whole concept becomes. I mean, my favorite line from that song is 'wearing something from god knows where', but then of course the third verse is 'come over her, let me smell you for one last time, before you go out there and ruin all the world once mine', it's tinged with envy as well, you know, because I'd like to be that age again and that silly and kinda of… excited about idiotic things. I think it's a.. heart felt… complaint. I'm just… tired (laughs)."