Unserious postmodern paintings.

The bear had agreed to tea, though not the conversation. He listened as the woman explained, again, why the socks needed re-knitting,…

The elk had waited all morning for the promised berry bush, only to find it picked clean by raccoons who left behind…

The pika had heard rumors of a summit where wisdom was dispensed in acorn-sized portions, but misheard the directions and ended up…

The lorikeet had been waiting for three hours. Not for food, not for attention—just for the moment the light hit the teacup…

The canary had been hired for its singing, but the office only needed someone to sit quietly and look busy. It learned…

The meadowlark had been assigned to the plaza by the Department of Avian Civic Presence after failing its migratory aptitude test. It…

He had sworn off digital whistling after the incident with the smart fridge, but the subscription renewal email arrived at 3 a.m.,…

Gary had been employed for exactly eleven minutes when the budget cuts came. He still showed up every morning at 8:15, poured…

The tinamou had been told, long ago, that enlightenment came in flashes — bright, sudden, and accompanied by choir music. Instead, it…

The beetle had been promoted that morning, though no one remembered interviewing it. It adjusted its tie with a foreleg, clicked its…

The honeyeater had spent seventeen hours preening not for mating, nor for survival, but because it had once overheard a human say,…

The eland had not asked to be haunted. It had merely been grazing near the old quarry when the light bent wrong…