The Beak of the Heron

A man buys a head of lettuce, thinking he will have a salad with
his dinner. The man forgets to make the salad, and eats dinner
with the head of lettuce sitting on the table, next to his plate.
Also on the table, next to his plate, is a small pair of scissors.
The man sometimes uses the scissors to cut the string from
around his morning paper. The scissors are silver and in the
shape of a heron.

The man picks up the heron-shaped scissors and wraps the legs
of the heron around his thumb and index finger. The legs of the
heron move apart and the beak of the heron opens. The legs of
the heron move together and the beak of the heron closes. The
man pushes the beak of the heron into the head of lettuce on
the table, next to his plate. The legs of the heron stick up out
of the head of lettuce.

The man looks at the head of lettuce on the table, next to his
plate, with the scissors, which look like a heron stuck in it. The
man realizes it is a piece of art.

The man calls himself an artist.

The artist feels a wind, hot and heavy, on the back of his neck.
The wind blows the artist's house from around him. The artist's
house is blown into his backyard, and comes to rest in his
vegetable garden.

The artist looks up and sees the sky has turned dark green.
''That shade of green..." the artist thinks, but he is cut off
abruptly by a sharp pain in the back of his head. The artist
stops worrying about shades of green.

The artist wonders what a man would do in his situation.

The artist wonders if artists are allowed to scream.

The artist tries to understand why his hands are wilting.