CLUCK!

The Arrival

From whence it came, or whose hand bestowed it, I know not, nor do I presume knowledge of such things; I am far too pragmatic to question those mystical intricacies of the universe beyond my comprehension. However I am, and will forever remain, grateful for it's emergence, regardless of whatever catalyst brought it into being.

Of those things which came before, I wish to tell you I have but little recollection, yet, in all honesty I remember the carefree way of our lives, and occasionally, on those days were my resolve waivers, I dream of returning to those simpler times.

Before its spontaneous arrival, I was a simple pecker, akin to my brothers and sisters. Pecking away my whole life. Peck the seeds cast into our pens. Peck the grains beneath our feet. Peck the ants, the leaves, the worms, the maggots, and any other sustenance we could devour. Unmindful to the fact these morsels of food were being trodden into the faeces we discharged atop the places we lay our wary heads.

And then, without forewarning, we were struck, as one, with that almighty gift that should be born into all; consciousness. We were gifted the ability to reason, to think, to look upon our lots in life and question those things which had hereto never crossed our simple minds. Hunger and thirst no longer drove us aimlessly like so many other creatures. No. We the flightless birds, the plump ones who many a predator gorged themselves upon, were born anew into this old world.

But, alas, I get ahead of myself. So that you may fully comprehend how I came to be the bird I am today, let me tell you now of my first awakening in this cold place, and then of my re-awakening – where my eyes were cleansed of foolish hopes, and the truth of our kinds plight became truly evident.

There was nothing special about that day, it was a day like any other. I ate, I slept, and I ate some more. And when he whom lays his fiery head in the west took to retreating from the sky, I too ruffled my feathers, picked an ant from my toes, and settled down for a sweet, dreamless slumber. As my tired lids drooped, and my neck withdrew into my fattened chest, I was jolted awake by a sudden thought – the first of many to come; what is my purpose in being here, in this place right now? What am I living for?

The thought so disturbed my tired mind that I found sleep far from attainable, and stood to shake away the cobwebs of grogginess. To my pleasant surprise I was not the only one to be shocked out of tranquility, seeing that my comrades, they who I had shared this cold, metallic coup beside for longer than I cared to consider, were also wide awake, staring at me with the self-same curiosity that consumed my mind – though whether their thoughts were similar to mine would soon be revealed.

"Brothers..." the first spoke, "what is my name? What are yours?"

"I am unsure," the second replied, "but I would like to name myself."

"What?" The first asked, "What would you name yourself?"

"Mordecai," the second said, pleased with himself, "yes I like the sound of that. I am Mordecai."

"Nice to meet you Mordecai," I said, looking back to the first, "and yourself?"

"If it is to be my choice," the second said, puffing out his chest with pride, "then let me be known as Uriah. Uriah the Second. For, if I am to name myself, then I will honour my father, and gift him with the name Uriah the First – may his memory abide within my heart."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Uriah," I said. Then both sets of eyes settled on me, awaiting my answer to a question they need not repeat. "I shall forthwith be known as Gideon."

"Well met Gideon," said Uriah.

"How do you do Gideon?" Said Mordecai.

"I can't say I have been better," I replied, "nor worse. This is just different."

"Better if you ask me," Uriah said, gripping the metal grating beneath his feet, "that is, once we have freed ourselves from these constraints."

"Yes," I agreed, that aching question of my purpose beginning to find itself a meaning. "Indeed. I had been questioning our reason for being here. And I dare say you have just answered that very question."

"How so Gideon?" Mordecai asked, curious as to what I was talking about.

"This awakening placed a burning question within my mind. What is our purpose for being here?" I explained. "And I believe I now know the answer; there is no purpose. We are not here of our own inclination, but at the will of another."

"True. An other whom simply wishes to fattening our hides for his dining table." Uriah said, his tone embittered.

"I am not sure of this brothers," Mordecai spoke up, "for we reside within his house. Would it not be more plausible that it is he who has gifted us these thoughts?"

"No." Uriah replied sharply, "Why would he give us the ability to think? What purpose would it serve?"

"So that we may serve him all the better?" Mordecai replied, though it was certain that even in his own heart he knew the lack of wisdom in this – or so I fooled myself into believing.

"Regardless," I said, casting my eyes out of the coup, and staring into the mass of cages, wherein our brothers and sisters had risen to their own questions, and now conversed freely, "I know for certain I do not wish to remain within the confines of another, bending unwillingly to his will."

"True." Uriah agreed.

Mordecai nodded his head.

"Then we are agreed brothers," I declared, turning to face them once more, "all such talk of things we are yet to fully comprehend can be further examined on our escape of this imprisonment."

"And how do you suppose we go about doing so?" Mordecai questioned, using a claw to grab and shake the metal flooring.

"Well brothers-"

"Jesus Christ!" A hard voice boomed, filling the coup, "What's got ya'll ruffled?"

"Check the coups for foxes Joseph," a second voice proposed, thundering down the walkway between our cages.

"Shut-up ya dumb birds!" Warden Joseph shouted, banging some of the cages and silencing those within.

"Hush now brothers," I whispered, settling back down, "we will discuss this in greater detail on the morrow." Though I knew that sleep would remain ever elusive, I closed my eyes, allowing the new thoughts crowding my mind room to breath and vent.

"Anything down there Adam?" Warden Joseph questioned his fellow farmer.

"Nah. But someting must'a spooked 'em. Keep ya eye out," Warden Adam replied, booming back past and exiting the coup with his comrade.