Only Male Birds Sing

                                            Only Male Birds Sing             by l. choy

                                                          Prologue

         They were mewing loudly when Sam brother began shoveling loose dirt on top of the kittens.  One flicked its ears, another covered its eyes with a tiny paw when dirt was showered on top of their spotted gray fur.  They were wiggling and crawling over each other, desperately trying to extend their lives.  The hole wasn't very deep so it took little time for those five tiny fur balls to be covered.  I watched them slowly disappear as if erased from a blackboard.  The mewing got weaker and then...stopped.  Sam brother bent over and with the back side of the spade forcefully pounded the mound of dirt flat.  His face was in neutral.  I felt more of curiosity than remorse.  I had as yet acquired empathy.  I was six years old when I witness this event.