The Birds are Back



The quietness which has befallen us over last month

Has now been broken by birds returning to the stumps

Of broken trees, blown over by many harsh winds past

And now the black birds are having a field day at long last



Digging into the trunks, scavenging for food in the trees

Cawing like crazy - for they've found some and are pleased

And so they flitter around, and glide from branch to branch

Sucking up worms and ants and other things for their lunch



It must be wonderful to lead a bird's quite solitary existence

All they do is fly around and look for food with insistence

And then they zoom right back to their little grassy nests

In order to feed their families with the regurgitated mess ...



If only it were all that easy for all of us of the human race

I'm sure we all would find we had much more time and space

Instead of rushing around wildly doing this thing or the other

Just in order to earn money to buy food and clothes to cover



Which so many of us have to do in order to make ends meet

Whilst we watch the birds with disinterest as they don't speak

And consider ourselves so very lucky we can communicate

Which makes us so very different from birds in how we relate



And this sets us apart from virtually all of the animal species

But the price we must pay for it is to earn livings to be at peace

Whilst those huge great black birds just go on flying around

Doing their thing and making those wonderful cawing sounds



- Tristram



Christopher W. Thomas

9:06am Tues. Feb. 3rd, 98



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