birthday in new york city

Tuesday I was walking through Bryant Park in the morning, perfect light, blue sky, warm, everyone frisky and jumping...
WHEN

I heard a bird calling behind me
louder and growing closer, it being a park, I was not so surprised but then it came swooping by me.
It wasn't a bird at all but a man who must identify as a bird. He was making different bird sounds-- different frequencies, quiet and soft, and then once in a while flapping his arms. Quite beautifully actually. Long and strong arms and he would arch his back and stretch his neck. His dreads bouncing and cascading over his shoulders or resting in absolute stillness. Sometimes he stopped still standing on just one leg, the other leg bent and folded into his standing leg like a flamingo.
He meandered through the park and I followed him. All who experienced the bird man shared smiles and laughs, or glances at least. I heard three different people say aloud: "Only in New York."
So true.

Happy Birthday it was.