The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers (Excerpt)

7/23/2019 The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers (Excerpt)

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c ~ecaa lwca grle kh~ ~kcrp orl}%ahbd jl}b lbzl kh~ adgz nkddf cbj ~ddedj zl glaal} zkd rltbjdj

pczk lg kh~ dxd olbd"

Zkd AZ }c~ c jh~zcbz pdr~lb ox bcztrd" H jlbz dwdb rdedeodr }kdrd kd }c~ grle" Zkdrd }c~

~ledzkhbm rd~zrchbdj coltz khe! ~ledzkhbm elrd zkcb ~hepad cjkdrdbnd zl blb%grczdrbhyczhlb" Hz }c~blz dahzh~e" Kd ~ddedj zl od tbfbl}coad! lr ~ahmkzax cjrhgz" Kd ~hmkdj lgzdb" ]drd kdrd tbzhaehjjcx lr ~l! kd ~chj" Zkhrj Paczllb h~ mlhbm zl pt~k zkrltmk zkd caadx~ zl ltr blrzk}d~z cbj zrx zl

gat~k zkde zl ltr grlbz" Klpdgtaax zkdxaa od zll ~ncrdj zl jl etnk ~kllzhbm cz t~ odglrd }d Kdpct~dj cbj orltmkz kh~ kcbj jl}b grle kh~ gcnd! rdcnkdj hbzl zkd plnfdz~ lb kh~ nkd~z odbdczk kh~

oljx crelr cbj gh~kdj glr c nhmcrdzzd" H kcbjdj khe lbd" Zkcbf~! Ocrzad! kd ~chj" Kd ztrbdj zl allfcz zkd lrnkcrj otrbhbm zl zkd ~ltzk" Kl} albm kcwd zkl~d ghrd~ oddb mlhbm


6/8

Zkd nlateb lg ~elfd zkcz odbz odbdczk zkd }hbj kcj ~zrchmkzdbdj" Hz ntz c oacnf! rtbbx ahbd

cnrl~~ zkd ~fx"

]kcz }c~ H ~cxhbm odglrd zkcz


7/8

Cbj zkdx jhj nled! ~kcjl}dj hb }hbjl}~" Zkdx nced ltz grle odkhbj }lwdb prcxdr rtm~

cbj ghrdj lgg otr~z~ cbj zkd otaadz~ }khppdj pc~z cbj }dj jtnf cbj ah~zdb c~ zkdx ~ecnfdj cmchb~z

zkd nlbnrdzd cbj etj%orhnf cbj ahzzad phdnd~ gad} hb dwdrx jhrdnzhlb" Zkdx rcb zkrltmk zrc~k ~zrd}b

caadx~! pc~z otrbhbm jrte~ cbj pac~zhn oal}hbm ahfd natep~ lg zkh~zad lwdr zkd cbnhdbz nlooad~zlbd~"

^zdrahbm xdaadj c albm zhed zkcz jcx odglrd H ~stddydj zkd zrhmmdr" Ex dcr~ kcj cardcjx rtbm ltz grle

zkd blh~d cbj zkd ghr~z otaadz H rdadc~dj hbzl zkd ghdaj ~ddedj zl adcwd ex rhgad }hzk c jtaa plp" Hz

fhnfdj tp c ahzzad naltj lg jt~z }kdb hz khz cbj hz }c~ ~trrltbjdj ox ecbx lzkdr ahzzad naltj~ lg jt~z

it~z ahfd hz"

_ltbj~ ox zkd ktbjrdj~ ~kllf jt~z lgg zkd mrltbj! zkd zrdd~ cbj othajhbm~" Cb laj ncr nrtepadj cbj

nlaacp~dj odbdczk ahzzad naltj~ lg jt~z" Lbnd hb c }khad! ~ledlbd rcb odz}ddb zkd othajhbm~! odkhbj

zkd lrcbmd cbj }khzd ncr~! lwdr zkd rllgzlp~! cbj zkdxj ~trrltbj zkde~dawd~ }hzk ahzzad naltj~ lgjt~z"

C ecb rcb odkhbj c al} }caa hb c nltrzxcrj cbj allfdj crltbj! c~zlbh~kdj zl od cahwd! kh~

}dcplb nrcjadj hb kh~ cre~" Ex ghr~z hb~zhbnz }c~ zl xdaa ltz zl khe! Xlt ecjd hz! otjjx! fddpmlhbm! otz H rdedeodrdj kl} ljj hz }ltaj od zl ~cx c zkhbm ahfd zkcz" Hz }c~ blz albm odglrd zkdlzkdr~ ~c} khe zll"

Kd allfdj adgz zkdb rhmkz cbj zkd jt~z plppdj crltbj khe! cbj H }cbzdj zl zdaa dwdrxlbd zl

~zlp ~kllzhbm cz khe! zl c~f! ]kcz fhbj lg edb crd }d


8/8

ahfd zkcz" Otz kd ~plfd zkd zrtzk dhzkdr }cx! cbj hz }ltajbz kcwd eczzdrdj etnk hg hz kcj oddb^tbjcx! cbj ~hbnd blbd lg t~ kcj ~adpz hb c albm zhed! blbd lg hz rdcaax ~ddedj zl eczzdr etnk cz caa"

^zdrahbm ~cz jl}b odkhbj zkd }caa bd{z zl zkd ecnkhbd mtb" Kd }cwdj t~ zl khe cbj zllf c

phdnd lg pltbj ncfd grle zkd ncrml plnfdz lb kh~ zrlt~dr~ c~ }d ah~zdbdj zl zkd ghbca otr~z~ lg

bdrwlt~ ghrhbm pdzdr ltz" Kd orlfd zkd jrx ncfd hbzl zkrdd phdnd~" Zcfd zkh~! kd ~chj! dcz"Zkd ~elfd rl~d cbj odmcb zl jh~cppdcr" H }cznkdj zkd laj }lecb oaddj lb zkd ~hjd lg zkd

rlcj" Zkd jt~z oad} hb acbmthj }cwd~ cbj odmcb zl ~}hra ~ahmkzax" ]d kdcrj ~klz~ cmchb" Odxlbj c

othajhbm c ~ecaa mhra }hzk ctotrb ntra~ cbj c zczzdrdj ~tb jrd~~ ~zdppdj ltz zl}crj zkd laj }lecb"

Drrcbz otaadz~ grle lzkdr pl~hzhlb~ fhnfdj tp zkd jt~z crltbj kdr hb jrx oalle~"

]d allfdj zl ^zdrahbm" Kd }cwdj t~ lgg" ^ledlbd mdz lb zkd bdz cbj zdaa zkl~d gtnfdr~ hz~ c

it~z c fhj! kd ~chj"Zkd mhra jtnfdj odkhbj zkd othajhbm zkdb dedrmdj cmchb! zkh~ zhed ~ktggahbm zl}crj zkd laj

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c~ ~kd pcndj crltbj zkd oljx" Zkd pczk zkdx ecjd }c~ ecrfdj hb oallj9 grle zkd ncr ~elfhbm cbj

coacyd! zkrltmk c nltrzxcrj rhbmdj ox kxcnhbzk~! zl zkd pacnd }kdrd ~kd acx jdcj! czzdbjdj ox zkd

~ecaa nkhaj! }kl rlnfdj cbj elwdj kdr ahp~! pdrkcp~ ~hbmhbm ~led jd~drz dadmx zkcz H nltajbz kdcr"

Zkd c~k grle zkd otrbhbm lg nacx orhnf~ cbj zkd gcz lg adcb edb cbj }ledb nlwdrdjdwdrxzkhbm" Zkd pcad ehbcrdz~ jlehbczdj zkd ~elfd cbj zkd ~fx }c~ ~zhaa pcad ahfd ~bl}" Zkd nhzx

~ddedj zl rdcnk tp}crj ltz lg zkd ~dzzahbm jt~z" Ltr pcrz }c~ lwdr! glr c }khad cz adc~z" Hz }c~

^dpzdeodr cbj zkltmk zkdrd }drd gd} zrdd~ grle }khnk adcwd~ nltaj gcaa! ~led jhj" Zkdx ~kllf lgg

zkd ~ncrrdj cbj ~adbjdr orcbnkd~! otggdzdj ox zkd }hbj cbj ahmkz jd~ndbjhbm grle zkd khaa~ zl zkd

blrzk" H zrhdj zl nltbz zkd adcwd~ c~ zkdx gdaa! rdelwdj grle zkdhr ellrhbm~ ox zkd hepcnz lg elrzcr~

cbj oleo~" Zkdx ~kllf" C zkhb ~kdcg lg jt~z galczdj lgg dcnk lbd"

H allfdj cz Etrpk cbj ^zdrahbm cbj zkd rd~z lg zkd paczllb lb zkd rllg" Zkd AZ }cafdj zl dcnk

lg t~ cbj ptz kh~ kcbj lb ltr cre~! ~pdcfhbm ~lgzax! zrxhbm zl ~llzkd t~ }hzk zkd ~ltbj lg kh~ wlhnd!

zkd }cx lbd }ltaj }hzk grhmkzdbdj klr~d~" Pdrkcp~ ltr dxd~ }drd }dz cbj oacnf! pdrkcp~ }d ocrdj

ltr zddzk" Mllj ilo! cbj Xltrd LF! cbj ]drd mlbbc od LF! kd ~chj" Hz }c~ c kcrj zl odahdwd

zkcz }dj od LF cbj zkcz }dj gltmkz }daa" Otz H rdedeodr odhbm zlaj zkcz zkd zrtzk jld~ blz jdpdbj

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zhrdj }kdb zkd eh~~hlb nced! otz }d }ltaj ml! glr }d kcj bl cazdrbczhwd" Pdrkcp~ }dj kcj zkde

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od jcrf odglrd }d fbd} hz" ]d kcj ahwdj! Etrpk cbj ed"

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khe! ~led }cx H nltaj kcwd fbl}b kd }c~ ~l nal~d zl odhbm fhaadj" Hb ex edelrx lg zkl~d jcx~ lb

zkd rllgzlp! kd h~ kcag c mkl~z" Otz H jhjbz ~dd hz zkdb! cbj nltajbz" Bl lbd ncb ~dd zkcz" H mtd~~ He macj H jhjbz fbl}! odnct~d }d }drd kcppx zkcz elrbhbm hb Ca Zcgcr! hb ^dpzdeodr" Ltr rdahdg }c~

nlehbm" Zkd jcx }c~ gtaa lg ahmkz cbj }cre" ]d ~adpz"

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers (Excerpt)

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