The Brown Feathered Cannibal

I must have been six years old. I remember, every morning, peeking out the window, looking up at the adobe attic vent and there he was, every day.

I remember, meeting with him and his friend. He was covered in a white glowing coat. He sung me a song that night and told me many things. About life, about death, about history. He also told me about Kain and that he would be a dark haired big and healthy boy.

I remember seeing him at my college graduation on the way there. Seeing him in the middle of the day, sitting on a tree, on the side of the road.

I remember one evening, my friend showed up with a sacred package. Inside was his cousin. He had been hit by a car. I did the honorable thing and gave him a blessing, clipped his winds and saved the feathers, cleaning each one and everyone by hand. I buried him for 90 days and went back and got his skull, it was a fair and meaningful exchange.

When Kailan was born, the doctor said a small flap in his heart had not closed. I spent many a night praying very hard, that he would be OK. They called it a heart murmur and said it was a pretty natural occurrence, but he had to stay in the hospital a couple of days and had to have a couple of x rays of his chest and follow ups to make sure that his little heart closed up. The first night we made it home, I had a visit outside my window and heard him giving my son and myself a heartfelt welcome.

On night rides, sometimes, I would come across two or three, running the trail with me. On solo rides at Snow hill I would hear him singing me songs in the distance.

Not too long ago, It was about Eleven in the morning. The blue jay's were screaming and I could tell they were mad about something. And sure enough, there he was, chomping on a fellow blue jay that he had somehow snatched up. And although they complained, they could do nothing but watch as he consumed their former family member. Eventually, they left. And then it was just him and I. I walked up, and took a picture, and as he stared deep in my eyes, I stared deep in his. I thanked him and walked away.

We all have a Guardian. Some are not lucky enough to ever see him or ever meet him. Me, I see him all the time. And he just happens to be a Cannibal.