Did the birds notice?
great flocks of birds were seen leaving cities in China
& elsewhere, there were no more crumbs from the cafes,
there were no more gleanings from the marketplace.
Did the air change as well?
the air was never as pure in all my life before,
we could see further and clearer than ever –
the lungs of the world healed as ours grew sick.
Did the wild animals notice?
goats came down from the hills in Wales,
kangaroos wandered streets in Australia,
dolphins swam free in the canals of Venice.
Did everything sound the same?
there was silence & there was noise –
planes, cars, trucks were never heard so seldom,
birdsong was never heard so loud, never so sweet
Did the people forget when it was over?
no, my child, in saddened hearts it never went away.
