Where Are the Birds?

I wake most mornings now

to the singular “caw” of Crows.

So precious,

for it comes less and less

with the songs of other Birds.

Where are the Mourning Doves,

the House Sparrows, Finches, Scrub-Jays, and Juncos,

the rest of the winged choir,

the proof of abundance and balance?

The human rule of the earth

is wiping out

so many of our elder species.

Birds,

some of our eldest living ancestors,

have survived and served us all

since the last mass extinction

of dinosaurs and their neighbors.

When I walk my neighborhood

and meet Crows,

I greet them and ask about them,

in hopes my attention

will assure them of my support,

my love,

and bolster their will to stick around,

to delight me

and in themselves,

to play their vital part.

I am grateful and afraid for them,

for all of Us.

[Photo credit: Alexas Fotos via pexels.com]

About Michaela McCormick

Michaela McCormick is a member of XRPDX, and a life-long social justice activist. She also studies, teaches, and writes about the confluence of spirituality, contemplative practices, and transformative change.

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