DOGCATBIRD (2010)

A dog, cat and a bird sat on a pier jutting out into the clear blue ocean waters.

At times they would argue about who the pier belonged to, at other times they were content to partake of the scraps of food laying on the pier.

One argument involved who had come to the pier first. The cat, always standing a little proud, boasted that it had come before either of the others, and that really the pier belonged to it, and the other two only remained on the pier due to the cat's own good graces.


Often times the dog would bark and the bird would squawk that this was not so.
'I and my ancestors were here first' the dog would say
'No mine were' the bird would interject.
'But, with respect, you both are wrong, for this has been mine and my ancestor's home long before either of you came to know of it' the cat would say, sometimes purring its words, sometimes growling them deep in its throat.


The argument raged on and off until such a time that the dog fell silent, curled up and permitted the cat and bird to verbally wrestle on.


Over time the bird too fell silent, realising that there was no point in arguing.  All three remained on the pier watching other animals climb on and off the pier, still the original three remained.

The cat, unable to remain silent, and now that the dog and bird refused to argue, argued by itself.  often times it would scream at the fish in the sea, the planks of wood on the pier, the rope holding the pier together.


Long into the humid night the cat would continue its argument while the dog slept and the bird watched, curious at the cat's need for argument.


One day, when all three had eaten well of the produce on the pier, the cat too feel silent.  It looked into the far distance, gazing out to sea, imagining it was alone.


The silent dog and the watchful cat looked at the cat, then at each other and shrugged, then looked on.


Gradually the cat turned, looked at its companions, smiled a weak smile in the realisation that the pier was only the pier when all three were on it.


The cat sat, curled its tail around itself, content to be amongst friends.

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