But first,

Birdy sat in his sun room. The perfect yellow sunroom. The ornate crown molding seemed to simper along with his mood. He was eyeing a cat. The black and white cat. He did not know when exactly the feline appeared; rather he was not looking at the black and white cat, then he was. Of course, Birdy was unsure if he should be oogling the cat. They both shared the space, sunny under the crown molding. Perhaps he would offer it some food? Or milk. Birdy thought that cats liked milk but maybe that was only a myth touted around in cartoons and had no basis in actual cat-needs.

Would you like some milk? He magnaimously asked the cat. The black and white cat did not look at him. Not that he need to, reasoned Birdy. In fact, how stupid of me to assume to talk at him if its not his fault he doesn't understand. Eye contact also is not necessarily part of cat communication. If Birdy couldnt speak to the black and white cat like a human, could he speak to him as a cat? Birdy flicked at his cigerrette. It made a soft sound as only pressed paper and tobacco can. He flicked again.

He would communicate with the cat as a cat would. He sat. He did not look at anything in particular, and he attained some captivation for the things that he was not in particularly looking at. He swished his imagined tail. He was both there and not there. Yet this was all no good. Was the cat offended that he dared attempt to mimic his cat-ways? Was he, Birdy, merely projecting the human condition of being offended when he assumed the cat might be?

No, no, since they seemed to meet on neither plane thus far, now he would have to forge a whole new way to connect with the cat. Birdy thought about this for a while, thought until he was not thinking. He let himself melt and then vibrate through the room, around the cat, thinking. His concentration was so bent, that when he moved toward the black and white cat it was as if a hypnotic glacier rocked forward and flowed from the wicker chair to the floor, so smooth the creak was gone. The cat appeared transfixed. Birdy reached out and wrapped his hand around the black and white cat's tail. He pulled. But pulled so fully, so softly, a tug. The cat, equally fully leaned away from the pull, sustained. Ah a pull, to pull, I've got you, thought Birdy.

The telephone rang, he screamed, the cat screamed, and the day went to hell.