BEDA 4 - Random Prompt #2

Yep. I'm doing it again.

Prompt : "The bird cage was empty."

The bird cage was empty. It has always been that way. I have never really been fond of birds. Though I am a bit ashamed to admit it, I have a slight fear of birds, especially when they are indoors. No, this cage is not to keep something that should be no where but outside. This cage is not to imprison a creature of the sky.

This cage is an artistic feature of the room. Well, that's what I like to tell people any way. No one can argue with something if you say it is art. All they can do is look at it, and perhaps think to themselves that they don't understand the complexities of it, or the underlying statement it is making about human nature. In all actuality, it was a gift. My mother bought it for me. It looks like something from a garage sale, but she insists that it is a top of the line, vintage style bird cage. Firstly, I don't have a bird, and I never have any intention of getting one. Secondly, if for some strange reason I did have a bird, why would I need to keep it in some fancy "vintage style" cage? As far as I know, birds don't have much of a grasp of interior design.

One would assume that after getting me this metal monstrosity, my mother would have gotten me a bird, or at least noticed my lack of possessing one (though, frankly, I'm glad that she didn't buy me one.)But no, three years have gone by that I have had an empty birdcage. It just sits in the corner of my living room collecting dust. I'm not sure why I haven't gotten rid of it. I suppose I would feel guilty about throwing out something that my mother gave me. Why is that? Why must I feel guilty about getting rid of something that I don't use, just because it was a gift?

Some days I just sit here and stare at it. I go through all of these things in my mind. Why do I have a birdcage? What possessed my mother to buy it for me? Why do I keep the stupid thing? And why do I sit here and stare at it? Maybe I should get a bird.