An Owl Out of Synch, Don't You Think? by Elliot Wilner

An owl is perched on the roof of an SUV in the pre-school’s parking lot, a fat old owl  big as a turkey, at three in the afternoon just hanging out, looking about and thinking to himself, Well, should I fly away or not? The owl was first spotted by the pre-school’s principal who naturally thought he was a Spotted Owl but in fact he was an ordinary Barred Owl who ought to have been barred from the parking lot, but this owl plainly did not give a hoot and just sat there staring at the little children who stared right back at the brute. Why had he woken early at three in the afternoon? Really, for an owl, three in the afternoon was much too soon. And why did he stare at the kids happily eating their snacks? Was he sizing up his chances for a snack of his own perhaps? What if the SUV were to drive away, would he go along for the ride or would he just hop onto the roof of the car parked alongside? It’s all very confusing when a creature doesn’t do what we expect it should, when an owl that’s supposed to be nocturnal and wise appears in a diurnal guise and in place of its fabled aptitude exhibits only this stupid stubborn attitude. Come, let me try and reason with you Mister Owl, if you be truly wise: There is a time and place for everything as we know, but this is not your time not your place so please go back to your roost, back to sleep like the owl you’re supposed to be and please we beg you please get off the roof of that SUV!