can i save that moment? that moment when a thousand birds fell off a roof top and into the sky? that moment when the sun shone brightly down a multi-colored street and the morning seemed a bit less like morning and a bit more like heaven?

they fell, all at once, and i looked and watched as they did a dance in the sky for me as the rest of the world walked past. i watched the faces of the passing people and their mouths all turned up slightly more than usual. i smiled at a man and he smiled back, a broad smile, full of life, his eyes gleaming with excitement. i looked up at the birds and asked where they were going, but the largest of them just said "caw" before taking to the sky.

and the sky was full of life and falling faster and faster towards me and i felt i should duck but didn't and a big blanket of movement came closer and closer moved the air near my face and it was all that i could do to keep from leaping up and calling out to them.

and they rose up again and fell higher and higher until they were just spots dotting the perfect blue and i waved and a woman walked past and touched my arm and said

"sweetie, it's gone."

and i reached my arms as high as they could go and i closed my eyes and cupped my hands together and brought back down to earth the memory of the living sky.

"caw" it said, and pecked at my palm.