Treasure Chest

The two stare at one another. His mind becomes silent, attempting to memorize the image of the moment and experience. They remain still for several moments, as if the two are attempting to search the other's soul and understand its infinite depths. It chirps, and the interruption of silence does not disturb him- something inside of him knew it would happen; something inside of him understood what would happen next.

The bird outstrecthes its majestic wings and soars into the noble air as if a gust of wind swept it from its feet. He watches as its muave wings become smaller and smaller like a pebble in the expansive skyscape. Here, he has found a treasure chest. The contents enlighten his intellect with secret wealth, a wealth he desires to share with humanity. Slowly, he gazes in the direction of the bird as it soars off and into the supertemporal.

The same gust which occupies the bird on its adventure provides him with the rich scent of juniper. He could practically taste its richness.

 He stands from his spot of solitude. 

He reflects upon his visit. The duration of his stay matters not. What matters is the treasure attained; what matters are these lifetimes of wisdom which seem to have impregnated his mind like the seed of a juniper, spreading its roots to grow explosively in his mind- a mind sustained by the water of sunlight and the fruit of knowledge. 

He glances in the direction of his home, a wayward and nostalgic glimpse against the wind. His eyes view the horizon of the town. His mind views the structure of humanity like the architecture of a building- a foundation of self-preservation sketched neatly below the frameworks of business enwrapped with emotion and covered haphazardly with a rooftop of religion.

"I am no longer a man." He speaks aloud, to an invisible audience.

The strongest part of something is its smallest most individual fragments. Society can never be stronger than the individuals which create it. Similarly, our bodies are not nearly as strong as the atoms which combine to create it. With time, our bodies will decompose. Yet, there are fragments of this body which will remain, and, if you gaze near enough, parts which will last for an eternity. Yet, he was only beginning to come to this conclusion. He was only at the initital stages of breaking apart from his body- from man. Society will be destroyed, its countries will end, and its cultures will be lost in an oblivion of fragmentation- yet, individuals will always survive, somehow, somewhere. 

What is a man? He asked himself. A creature who is given life from another man and another woman. Yet, they have not been on this earth for very long, at least in this form. He was taught that we had transformed from various epochs of hominids, and he had come to attribute modernity with what we call man. Yet, what happens when an embryo begins to develop and transform away from man? Now, it must be true that every living human does this to an extent; it is these transformations that create uniqueness. Still, what if one were to vary far more than what is traditional?

Is a fox that different from a dog?  He asks himself. Yes, in certain respects, for even if they have similarities, they retain differences in regards to personalities, dietary preference, appearance, mating styles, and intellect. Yes, he thought, a fox is still an animal, a mammal, even a canine, but it is not a dog. I am an animal, a mammal, even a hominid, but I am no man.

"I am no  longer man." He says to an invisible audience.