Owl only knows

I looked up.

Up high.

Well beyond me.

I looked at The Barn Owl. The Barn Owl looked at me.

It spoke to me.

It said “change”.

I said no, it’s not possible, I cannot change, change is futile, change is pointless, and change is painful, I dare not change.

I looked at The Barn Owl. The Barn Owl looked at me.

It spoke to me.

It said “suffer”.

I cried out WHY?! I banged my fists in pain, shook my head and wailed out rage, I burned, writhed and spawned in agony, tremors with fear and cringed anxiously melting to pieces.

The Barn Owl laughed.

It spoke to me.

“Now change! Or I will eat your eyes, devour your liver and feed your heart to my young!”

Still I dare not give in to The Barn Owl, still I stared it down strong in my resistance, hostile in my self assurance, quietly self aggrandising in my bullheaded tenacity.

I looked at The Barn Owl. The Barn Owl looked at me.

It spoke to me.

“Fine then. Bleed.”

A flash of white, talons sinking into my skin, a hard sharp beak pulling me apart, and screeching, screeching, screeching in my ears so high and so hard I was left ringing, a constant bell of birdcall in my head.

Staggering, dazed, confounded, I stumbled round in lost circles, weeping, moping and bruised.

Ok I breathed.

Yes I sighed.

I will change, I will leave this behind.

I looked up from my swirled mess of self. Up high, well beyond me.

I looked at The Barn Owl. The Barn Owl looked at me.

It spoke to me.

“No, No, No, you will not change.”

I looked at The Barn Owl. The Barn Owl looked at me.

But you will be changed

You will be changed.