to kill a mockingbird

okay mr. mockingbird,

it is time to fly. you are now beyond annoying. too bad you are protected by state law. i lived in the deep deep amazonian jungles of south america where i learned to bathe in a river and fish with a spear, where swimming with piranha was an every day occurrence and a sure way to lose a toe, where sloth and wild boar were minor threats compared to 10 foot boas, anacondas, and other poisonous slithering things. when we lived in a tribal setting for a month, my friend jonathan and i would go bird hunting with sling shots . i hated the idea of killing any creature, but the tribe ate birds like you for a snack. i hear it's good protein; maybe a little wild tasting but good with french fries... so I hear. mockingbird on a stick, anyone?

" Atticus said to Jem, "I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever hear Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "You're father's right," she said. "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mocking bird."

Father, forgive me for I have sinned.

tonight's menu
-orange fowl wrapped in bacon on crussette toast
-mixed field greens nested with texas goat cheese and petite boiled wild eggs
-roasted urban mockingbird in a duck burgundy sauce with new potatoes and carmelized carrots
- latte gelato served on a bed of chocolate twigs