The Seagull© The Seagull landed on a brick pillar mounted in the walkway surrounding The Barbican waterfront. No one noticed. He was just an ordinary seagull, although rather handsome in shape and colour, as he was in the bloom of early adult life. No one cared because he was just another big, irritating, screeching bird that was one amongst thousands that filled the sky around this part of the coastal city of Plymouth. The only humans who might pay attention to his presence were those families guarding their steaming fish and chips further along the sea front walkway. Humankind had recently decided not to feed scraps to the seagulls. With so much waste around for the picking, the growing population of gulls had become very bold. Children had even been attacked if they raised the food held in their hands! For the moment however, this particular bird was intent on oiling his magnificent coat. His long perfectly-shaped yellow beak, knitted and weaved between his feathers as he oiled his shiny white and grey plumage in the cool breeze blowing to shore from across the English channel. Every now and then the blustery clouds parted, allowing a strip of blue sky to frame the attractive bird. Highlighted against blue background, the seagull was unaware of a silent human, intently observing him from a park seat on the opposite side of the road to the brick pillar. As he preened, the glow of the bird’s white afterimage shifted against the bright sky and then flowed around his body like sunshine. The white aura became tinged with pale yellow radiating points of light. Watching the bird’s body, the human saw a pure and beautiful ball of aqua blue energy appear around the animal’s neck. The aqua shade rapidly transformed into a rich glowing purple and descended down along the gull’s body, where it lingered between his feet. So bright was the ball of light that it obliterating the humans’ view of the bird’s thin orange legs. Second later, another ball of profoundly beautiful pastel blues and purples, about six inches across, descended down the side of the gull’s body and hovered around its feet before disappearing. This phenomenon occurred several times. As the human viewer watched, the bird slowly turned towards the bench and returned his gaze. “Well what did you expect?” the seagull seemed to say. “Did you think I was as foul and dirty as the food you feed me? I am a purifying energy. You humans pollute everything. Why’d you think there are so many of us gulls? We are needed. Our bodies process, purify, make whole and return to the sea that which you entrust to our guts to process. We are not dirty – we cleanse and renew the earth by our scavenging of your waste dumps and garbage bins. No wonder we are angry with you! No wonder we cry out and try to make you understand our plight. Our stomachs are part of the energy you have entrusted to the planet – we are a consequence of your behaviour! Only now you see me pure, beautiful and with dignity, as I truly am.” The human, who happened to be a scientist, shook his head. Was he hearing things? Would any silhouetted image against this sky, in these light conditions cause the same effect? He turned his gaze to rest on a sculpture mounted above the entry dock to the Barbican harbour and stared at the form intently. After a while, a bright afterimage appeared, which as the man knew, happened to be the normal reaction for the function of the eyes in bright light. When the experience of gazing at the seagull was not repeated, the man gave a sigh of self-delusion, checked his watch and then rose from the bench to continue his journey. With a squawk of disgust, the sea gull lifted into the air and dropped a pellet of faecal matter on the bench, beside where the human had just been sitting. No one noticed this gesture of defiance and disgust. The bird flew on, hating and loving; just like a human.

3.The Seagull ©
4.Ignorance©

The Seagull©

The Seagull landed on a brick pillar mounted in the walkway surrounding The Barbican waterfront. No one noticed. He was just an ordinary seagull, although rather handsome in shape and colour, as he was in the bloom of early adult life. No one cared because he was just another big, irritating, screeching bird that was one amongst thousands that filled the sky around this part of the coastal city of Plymouth. The only humans who might pay attention to his presence were those families guarding their steaming fish and chips further along the sea front walkway. Humankind had recently decided not to feed scraps to the seagulls. With so much waste around for the picking, the growing population of gulls had become very bold. Children had even been attacked if they raised the food held in their hands!

For the moment however, this particular bird was intent on oiling his magnificent coat. His long perfectly-shaped yellow beak, knitted and weaved between his feathers as he oiled his shiny white and grey plumage in the cool breeze blowing to shore from across the English channel. Every now and then the blustery clouds parted, allowing a strip of blue sky to frame the attractive bird. Highlighted against blue background, the seagull was unaware of a silent human, intently observing him from a park seat on the opposite side of the road to the brick pillar.

As he preened, the glow of the bird’s white afterimage shifted against the bright sky and then flowed around his body like sunshine. The white aura became tinged with pale yellow radiating points of light. Watching the bird’s body, the human saw a pure and beautiful ball of aqua blue energy appear around the animal’s neck. The aqua shade rapidly transformed into a rich glowing purple and descended down along the gull’s body, where it lingered between his feet. So bright was the ball of light that it obliterating the humans’ view of the bird’s thin orange legs. Second later, another ball of profoundly beautiful pastel blues and purples, about six inches across, descended down the side of the gull’s body and hovered around its feet before disappearing. This phenomenon occurred several times. As the human viewer watched, the bird slowly turned towards the bench and returned his gaze.

“Well what did you expect?” the seagull seemed to say. “Did you think I was as foul and dirty as the food you feed me? I am a purifying energy. You humans pollute everything. Why’d you think there are so many of us gulls? We are needed. Our bodies process, purify, make whole and return to the sea that which you entrust to our guts to process. We are not dirty – we cleanse and renew the earth by our scavenging of your waste dumps and garbage bins. No wonder we are angry with you! No wonder we cry out and try to make you understand our plight. Our stomachs are part of the energy you have entrusted to the planet – we are a consequence of your behaviour! Only now you see me pure, beautiful and with dignity, as I truly am.”

The human, who happened to be a scientist, shook his head. Was he hearing things? Would any silhouetted image against this sky, in these light conditions cause the same effect? He turned his gaze to rest on a sculpture mounted above the entry dock to the Barbican harbour and stared at the form intently. After a while, a bright afterimage appeared, which as the man knew, happened to be the normal reaction for the function of the eyes in bright light. When the experience of gazing at the seagull was not repeated, the man gave a sigh of self-delusion, checked his watch and then rose from the bench to continue his journey.

With a squawk of disgust, the sea gull lifted into the air and dropped a pellet of faecal matter on the bench, beside where the human had just been sitting. No one noticed this gesture of defiance and disgust. The bird flew on, hating and loving; just like a human.