Yesterday I saw a pigeon standing in a narrow alleyway.  It was a dead end, like the ones you see on TV police chases.  It was an ordinary pigeon, like the ones you see everywhere.

The pigeon was trying to get out of the alley.  He would take off and then just bounce from wall to wall until he fell to the ground.  Over and over.  Flap flap bump bump.  Flap flap bump bump.  It looked painful but he kept going for about three minutes.

As proud as he was of his wings and his ability to fly, he eventually realised that neither were proving particularly helpful.  He walked towards me and out on to the street.  Freedom.

If he hadn’t been trying to show off he could have saved himself a battering.