How to paint a portrait of a bird

by Jacques Prévert, translated by Brendan Doyle

First, paint a cage
with an open door
then paint
something pretty
something simple
something beautiful
something useful
for the bird
then place the canvas against a tree
in a garden
in a wood
or in a forest
hide behind the tree
without speaking
without moving…
Sometimes the bird comes along quickly
but it can just as easily take many long years
before deciding
Don’t get discouraged
wait
wait if necessary for years
the speed or slowness of the bird’s arrival
bearing no relation
to the success of the painting
When the bird arrives
if it arrives
observe the most profound silence
wait for the bird to enter the cage
and when it has entered
gently close the door with the brush
then
erase one by one all the bars
taking care not to touch any of the bird’s feathers
Next, do a portrait of the tree
choosing the loveliest of its branches
for the bird
paint also the green foliage and the wind’s coolness
sunbeams
and the noise of insects in the grass in the heat of summer
and then wait for the bird to decide to sing
If the bird doesn’t sing
it’s a bad sign
a sign that the painting is bad
but if it sings it’s a good sign
a sign that you can sign it
So you gently pluck out
one of the bird’s feathers
and write your name in a corner of the painting.