Family in Various Guises

Shapes and flavours, square, circular, linear, and dispersed. Hole in the middle, cylinder, and oblate spheroid. Single person families, two or three, four, seven and multiple groupings. Both sexes, yes, same sex, yes, third sex probably, fourth sex and extended. Seventh, well maybe not, but who is to say. Fathers, mothers, mathers and fothers, how should I know, as long as it works for all, little ones in particular.

The Blue Woman Knight rode out of the city of Az with her child Knight riding pillion. We shall discover all there is to see, concerning the wonder that is family, she said, for to show our beloved partner and father respectively. I know, you and I, Little Knight, know that he is well versed in his love of us, but, nonetheless, it would be marvellous to have it writ in clear, that we may celebrate family. Then we might take its proving to place in the empty container of the Blue Knight.

We shall quest into the wilderness where revelation is often lurking in the guise of emptiness.

In the wilderness a bird came and sat upon a bush, I don’t think anyone is home, said the Bird, they went ashore for a loaf. Why have you come?

The Small Knight in shiny armour went to the Bird and held out its gauntlet. Come Bird and discuss with us the nature of family, said the Child Knight.

The Bird hopped onto his glove. Well, began the bird, I have a nest up high in that palm yonder. I have chosen the sticks with care. First some larger sticks to give some strength, rammed and placed into the crook of a palm branch. Then some smaller, more bendy twigs, to fashion the shaping, with high sides for health and safety. Last, some wisps of various, and soft cushioning to provide comfort and warmth. I am planning an extension with solarium next year, with maybe a decking area and barbeque. A swimming pool is out of the question as we are in a tree, we shall have to make use of passing puddles.

I have laid there three eggs, with gentle speckled colours all, there waiting to hatch. Temperature is everything, I sit on them in the cold and fan them with my wings in the heat. I roll them over from time to time and scare off scary snakes. Then, after ages, at the time appointed, they peck their way free, with a special tooth provided by Darwin, and come out and begin their fluffy phase, which is really cute. I always send loads of pics around my Whatsup flock at this point, sooooo cute.

 Yes, anyway, it’s not all billing and cooing, they must be fed, which is really exhausting. Back and forth, worm in beak, beetle in beak, etc, you get the drift. Feeding them until they are big enough and strong enough to fly away. Instinct takes over and off they will dispersed and flit around all over the shop. After that I’m a free bird again. I am planning a trip to Africa with my friends this winter, it is gorgeous weather down south.

What would happen, dear Bird, if an unknown chick was to be found in your nest?

Why then I would care for it as if it were my own, all young ones deserve care.

What would you do, dear Bird, if that bird had blue feathers and a bright red beak?

Why, I would care for that bird as if it were my own, all young ones deserve attention.

What would you do if this bird developed into a flamingo?

I would teach it to stand on one leg and sift shrimps from the lake with its head upside down.

If the flamingo spoke another language? I would learn to understand. Stole your cake? I would forgive. Feathered its own nest? I would move in. Opened a shop called The Tweet Shop, I would buy all my tweets there.

 Bird flew to the palm, accompanied by profuse thanks.

They travelled quite far and eventually came to an oasis with twin palms by a pool of water bubbling up, filtered by the sand. They settled and the horse drank all the water. The Child Knight sat and played on their educational tablet. The Blue Woman Knight, quite accustomed to ethereal visions, sat, head still, by the palm tree and went to dive for pearls in this and every regard.

A camel came, walking backwards on a path of silk. Hello, said the BWK, could you tell me the depth and width of your family.

What’s in it for me, said the camel? I could make it worth with songs of the orient, said the BWK.

OK, said the Camel, settling itself. Well, quand j’etais jeune, I was part of a long line of camels stretching across the desert. Each to his or her own. Soon, I became a member of a shorter line or small group in the distance who ran away and now I am on my lonesome.

Would you, if you had the chance, join forces with another, for mutual support and power sharing? Asked the Blue Woman Knight. Only on a Wednesday, said the Camel. Do you discipline your offspring if they are discovered shop lifting? I would send them to bed with no screen time, said the Camel, and sell their ill-gotten gains on Ubay. If you woke in the dusty to find you had four parents, a half sibling, and a pet gerbil, would you disappoint? I would be over the moon, said the camel.

Fascinating, said the BWK, I can see now that family has no bounds or limitations. What a handy set up. Family seems to accomplish where need arises.

Those in charge or capable, must supply our young with shiny armour, it will grows as they grow, providing an workable interface between the individual and the world in all its raw energy. Otherwise, they would be marmellised at the first encounter.

Family is a block of ice, a snack afterwards, a long stick with markings. Two families become one. Thrown together in adversity. Family is being part of an herd, horns facing out, so that the wolves cannot pick and choose.