Strange Bird (753 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.04 on 32 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Lisa (View user info) at 2007-02-06 02:48:18 EST
In dreams where you're about to die, you wake up just before, as if your mind can't fathom the destruction of the body indispensable to its functioning. "I don't want to play anymore," it says, and shuts down.
In my dream last night, I glanced up from my computer screen and out the window. Perched right outside on a tree branch was a brilliant cardinal. It didn't flutter or waddle around like most birds, it just sat very still, looking at me through the blinds, its puffed out chest rising and falling with serene breaths. Its presence was haunting; the crimson of its feathers was almost too striking and the intentness with which it stared at me was surreal.
Suddenly it was in my room, flapping its wings with frantic determination but sinking, hopelessly. It dropped into an open book on my floor. I picked up the book and examined the bird. Once vibrant and healthy-looking, it was now fragile and resigned. Its red feathers had disappeared, replaced by a soft gray down. Lids were closed over the two black beads that had stared at me moments ago. It just lay there in the crease of the pages, frozen with exhausted sleep.
The question of what to do with the bird troubled me. Stripped of its beauty and bewitching mystique, its appeal had diminished. What would I want with a weak, dirty wild animal? It didn't belong under my roof, it had nothing to offer me but death and disease. And yet I felt a responsibility toward it; after all, it had entered my window and collapsed on my book. It was so tiny and pathetic, like an infant. I wanted to nurse it back to health even though I knew the phantom red bird of before had vanished for good. I felt there was a reason for it being here, and I could not so easily dump it outside.
I woke up before I knew what to do with the bird. Maybe I did know what would happen, but I couldn't face it. My mind didn't want to play anymore and it shut down.
User Reviews
Submitted by Fabish (user info) at 2007-02-20 00:52:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
At a point in my life I had a about a week straight with dreams in which I died. In two or three of them I actually died in my dreams. TAKE THAT, brain. It didn't bother me at first but it slowly ate at me until I became a fragile helpless cardinal left to flutter in and out of dreams and...now I realize I'm drunk.
Submitted by lungfish (user info) at 2007-02-09 08:16:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Mobster. Did some work for the US Gov't in WWII protecting harbors.
Submitted by Lisa (user info) at 2007-02-09 08:09:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Last night I had a dream that I was romantically involved with a guy who owned a condo-hotel. For dinner one night we invited his friend--a relative of Lucky Luciano, involved with the mob. I did something to piss off the mobster and he came by a few days later and shot up our first-floor place.
I didn't even know I knew who Lucky Luciano was.
Submitted by Lisa (user info) at 2007-02-09 07:54:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
To me it's just simple symbolism for lost love. I woke up in the middle of the night after having the dream and thought, "What a beautiful metaphor for what's happening in my life," made a mental note to remember it, and went back to sleep.
Submitted by Wisher (user info) at 2007-02-09 00:10:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
When I gave this a zero rating days ago, I caught what I thought was the symbolism of the post {maybe not intended by you} and said s/t unusual for me ~ even though it was meant playfully. It's bothered me ever since. That's why I came online and looked up this post, to say I didn't intend to sound mean, though my 1st review reads otherwise.
The male redbird is bright red, the female grayish and frail, and I took your dream as if you were making a statement about {human} females.
The post was very Poe-esque actually, not only in its obvious conceits, but the unstated.
~love, wisher
Submitted by Lisa (user info) at 2007-02-06 23:45:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Yes, my trucker hat phase. I look like such a white trash douche in that picture.
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2007-02-06 16:58:03 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2007-02-06 15:36:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
YOU are a strange bird.
Submitted by MyTeeOne (user info) at 2007-02-06 14:53:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I kind of agree with scourge. Most dreams are just dreams.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2007-02-06 13:02:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I have to say, the first thing that went through my mind when reading this title, is that picture of you flipping off the camera during the last camping Ubercon.
Submitted by Kracka (user info) at 2007-02-06 12:47:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2007-02-06 12:22:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Male cardinals are red. Females are brown. You secretly want to be a man, admit it.
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2007-02-06 12:15:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
dreams are just a mental filing system.
reading too much meaning into them is a hobby that weak minded people engage in.
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2007-02-06 11:42:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2007-02-06 07:04:59 (#)
Ranking: 1
Interesting.
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2007-02-06 10:06:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
The dreams where I'm being killed, chased or tortured, my brain stays on. But dreams where something pleasurable is happening? Oh no, my brain shuts off for that. Fucker.
They say that a bird in your house is an omen of death. I'm not quite sure what it means if it's in a dream.
Submitted by lungfish (user info) at 2007-02-06 09:11:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Go Cardinals woo!
It's an Arizona thing. I don't really like football. I smoke.
Submitted by ICO (user info) at 2007-02-06 09:10:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You're deranged.
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2007-02-06 08:37:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
No Comment
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2007-02-06 08:31:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Well, death is an inevitable outcome anyway so perhaps it's better to say I die in my dreams and leave it at that.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2007-02-06 08:30:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I always die in dreams where death is an inevitable outcome. Only then do I wake up.
Yay.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2007-02-06 08:07:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Here's another strange bird.
I just finished spanking it about 10 minutes ago.
Your thoughts?
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2007-02-06 07:49:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Well, MY brain would've told me to slam the frigging book closed.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2007-02-06 07:04:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Interesting.
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2007-02-06 06:39:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Not what I'm in the mood for today I'm afraid.
Submitted by Acarnis (user info) at 2007-02-06 05:19:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This was nice.
Or maybe it's just the non-English major part of your brain trying to tell you that books kill.
Submitted by frankthebear (user info) at 2007-02-06 04:20:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
your brain is a jerk
Submitted by Lisa (user info) at 2007-02-06 04:07:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
...
What?
Submitted by Wisher (user info) at 2007-02-06 03:43:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
O goddammit! Watch "Sleepy Hollow" you're a Depp fan. Hence, you know what to do with red bird. GAH! Sometimes I hate you, sometimes I. Anyhow, you know better.
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2007-02-06 03:36:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by Timmaaaaah (user info) at 2007-02-06 03:33:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
sounds very pretty but I dont want to hear pretty
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-02-06 03:17:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
.
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-02-06 03:15:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 0