"The Rooster's Proclamation"

A satirical monologue

THE GOLDEN ROOSTER OF TALLCREST

Dawn breaks over the meticulously manicured landscape of Tallcrest, where a magnificent golden rooster named Paxus struts atop the nation's tallest spire. His feathers gleam with artificial luster as he prepares for his daily proclamation.

Paxus puffed his chest and gazed across the pristine cityscape, admiring his reflection in the glass of a nearby skyscraper.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-MAGNIFICENT!" he crowed, his voice echoing through speakers strategically placed throughout the nation. "Another perfect day in Tallcrest, the most advanced nation in the world! Just look at me, the most splendid rooster that ever lived!"

He preened his golden feathers, deliberately ignoring the empty streets below.

"Why does the international barnyard continue to squawk about our 'problems'?" Paxus muttered to himself, pacing back and forth. "They're simply jealous of our magnificent bullet trains! Did you know they can travel from one end of our coop to the other in just two hours? Two hours! No other nation has trains as punctual and shiny as ours!"

The rooster paused, tilting his head to listen for applause that never came.

"These foreign hens have the audacity to cluck about 'human rights' when they should be admiring our ancient culture. Our culture! Yes, we may have borrowed a few traditions from neighboring farms, but we've improved them! Made them more... Tallcrestian!"

Paxus scratched at the ground nervously, his talons clicking against the metal roof.

"Ridiculous accusations," he whispered to himself. "So what if a few troublesome chicks disappear from the henhouse? They were disrupting our harmony! Our perfect, mandatory harmony!"

The rooster's comb quivered with indignation as he strutted in increasingly tight circles.

"COME VISIT TALLCREST!" he suddenly bellowed. "Tourists welcome! See our magnificent skyscrapers! Ride our spotless trains! Admire how our feathers shine brighter than yours! Why aren't you coming? WHY AREN'T YOU COMING?"

His voice cracked slightly as he peered over the edge at the empty tourist center below.

"It must be those foreign roosters spreading lies," Paxus muttered. "Yes, that's it. They're jealous of our superior crowing technique. They fear our growing influence in the global henhouse."

The golden rooster stood taller, his shadow stretching across the empty plaza.

"We don't need them anyway! Tallcrest is self-sufficient! Self-important! Self... self..."

For a brief moment, Paxus caught his reflection in a puddle of rainwater. Something about his golden-plated feathers seemed hollow in the morning light.

"Perhaps if we just built taller buildings," he whispered. "Or faster trains. Yes! Faster trains will solve everything!"

The rooster turned away from the edge, unable to face the emptiness below or the questions within.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DENIAL!" he crowed, as another day in Tallcrest began.