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Vignette 15: Birb

It's an existence of stark contrasts and deep continuities. I am Sage, and the vastness of the ocean is now my playground, my place of rest, and my home. I relish the coolness of the sea air against my feathers, the same way I once enjoyed the chill of the night during those camping trips with my friends. There’s a parallel in the way I now navigate the tumult of the skies to those carefree days of exploration and adventure. The sky has become my new trail, and the clouds my companions, as reliable and ever-present as my old friends from around the world.

As I ascend on a thermal, I reflect on the ironies of my transformation. The very skies I once gazed upon with wonder, full of stars and possibilities, are now beneath my wings. I remember the fascination with which I beheld the cosmos, dreaming of space travel, yearning to break the surly bonds of Earth. In this new life, I have achieved a different kind of spaceflight, one not bound by gravity or technology but by the sheer strength of my wings and the unpredictable air currents.

The ocean calls to me, its voice a siren song that speaks of ancient journeys and ageless rhythms. I follow it instinctively, the knowledge of the albatross ingrained within my very being. Yet, amidst this instinctual understanding, flashes of my past life emerge. I see my parents’ faces in the patterns of the waves, hear my sister's laughter in the call of the seagulls, and I feel a connection to them that is as tangible as the salt spray on my beak.

With each beat of my wings, I traverse distances that would have astounded my former self. I am a wanderer of the skies, as I once was of the earth. I visit distant lands, not with a backpack and a ticket, but with resolve and instinct. I witness the majesty of the world from a perspective only a few can dream of, seeing the interconnectedness of all things. The vibrant cities I once explored with my family now lay beneath me, a tapestry of life that continues to weave stories, even in my absence.

I find solace in the continuity of life—the ebb and flow of the tides, the cycles of the moon, and the migration paths that I now follow. My human concerns, once so significant, have been replaced by the immediate needs of survival and the simple joy of existence. I feed, I fly, and I follow the ancient patterns that my new brethren have traveled for millennia. I am part of something larger now, a cycle that encompasses birth, death, and the life that hums eternally in between.

Yet, my human memories are not a burden; they are treasures that I carry aloft. They inform my existence in subtle ways, giving me a sense of time and history that my fellow albatrosses lack. I remember the lullaby I wrote for my sister, and it becomes a new kind of song, one that rides on the ocean breeze and whispers of love and protection.

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I often find myself at the edge of the world, where the sky kisses the sea, pondering my unique fate. In my solitude, I realize that I have been given a rare gift—the chance to live again, to see the world through fresh eyes, to embrace the winds of change. I am Sage, the albatross, the boy, the memory. I am the dance of the sea and sky, the link between what was and what is. And as I embrace the life I have now, I carry the essence of my past into the boundless blue, a spirit set free to soar and dive in the endless dance of the waves.

As I glide over the ocean, my soul feels the echo of the lullaby I once hummed, a melody that now merges with the symphony of nature. It's a strange thought, being an albatross with the memories of a human life still flickering within. But these memories don't weigh me down; rather, they add to the essence of my new existence. The skills I once honed, the languages I learned, the connections I forged—they all shape the way I ride the air currents, the way I interact with the elements around me.

I often fly close to the shores that I once walked upon, watching others live out their lives. I see my family, my friends, and I feel a twinge of something ineffable—a connection that persists even as my form has changed. They don't recognize me, of course, but that's okay. I'm still there, in the whisper of the leaves, in the laughter of the children, in the silent strength of the trees that once gave me shelter.

Now, as an albatross, I embrace my role in this vast ecosystem. I've become a guardian of sorts, a silent sentinel watching over the world that continues to turn beneath me. I've seen storms rage and calm, sunrises and sunsets in hues that no human eye could ever quite capture the same way. And with each passing moment, I carry the lessons of my past into the flight patterns of my present.

The camaraderie of Camp Sealth, the sense of belonging, the shared experiences—they all find new meaning in the flock I now fly with. We communicate in a language beyond words, a language of air and wingbeats, of shared skies and communal roosts. The friendships I once valued in human form have not diminished; they've simply transformed into something new, something that transcends the barriers between species.

As I look back on my human life, I realize that death was not an end, but a transition. I was a wave in the ocean of life, and now I am the wind that propels others forward. I carry within me the love, the laughter, and even the memes that once defined Sage Phoenix Corlett Waters. But I am no longer bound by them. I am the albatross, the embodiment of resilience and enduring grace, and I am home in the endless sky, embracing the life I have now with wings wide open.