Cathy Brown

I grew up on a farm, in Central Victoria, Australia. My friends were few, unless you count the birds. So many of them, many injured, or like Clarence, the wild galah that flew down and landed on my head, and pecked at my ears playfully, as I played in the state forest. For years Clarence was my closest friend, listening to my stories, perched upon my shoulder, yet free to fly away. He learned about the turmoil of being a teenager, and I learned the value of freedom. I now live upon a hilltop, with expansive sky, often daydreaming as the birds fly by.