Cover for a short story collection (kindle and paperback)

I'd like a front and back cover for my short story collection Alterations which I intend to self-publish on Amazon (both paperback and kindle).
The stories are realistic and psychological and have very different characters and scenarios. Some are full of action whereas others are very introspective. All, however, focus on change – sometimes dramatic, sometimes more subtle. For more on the content, see the blurb at the bottom of the page – or feel free to contact me.
At this stage I don’t have a clear idea of the cover I want. I usually prefer clean graphic ones with either very subtle colours or a maximum of two strong ones.
If you wanted to include an image, one idea would be a one-legged parrot (an amazon) which is in the process of destroying an antique Chinese pagoda-style bird cage. The image on the back could show a later stage of destruction. – But don’t let this influence your design. I’d be very happy to consider totally different ideas, including totally abstract/ graphic ones.
What I would like to avoid is a cartoon-style, something too romantic or anything that makes it look like a self-help book.