In watching the blue jay and cardinal, I became an ornithologist. The morning cardinal, in flight, on the fringe of its wings, I might catch a glimpse of purple against the sky. The evening blue jay, sitting beneath the shingles, against the brick, purple phantom. It was so much about flight and such little about study.
1art by Pragna Gaddamedi (@prgs.jpeg)
Poetry Tip of the Day!
I was in science olympiad in high school, and in science olympiad there are build events and study events. I decided the former weren’t for me after failing at building a (procrastinated) mousetrap powered car, but I could take tests. I picked the most obscure possible event I could find, ornithology, because if it was obscure enough, I might get by with a little less studying—yes, smart AND efficient. Who even knows what an ornithology is, right?
I got destroyed, but I learned a lot about birds (just not enough to do well on the test) and a lot more about myself. I learned science olympiad ultimately wasn’t for me. I moved onto other pursuits more in line with my skillsets (throwing ass), and I also learned that while I didn’t like being tested on the taxonomy of birds, I liked them! And I like flying, and colors, and salad. What’s better than a good dressing, right?
Houston