We've been blowing our fumes for so long
The sky thinks we deserve a reward.
We've spit sacraments into the mouth
Of God, doubting it sips what we've breathed.
If prayer works, then I ask why don't storms?
Why ice, asteroids, rainbows and sun?
We blow back on your breath with a curse,
You send us the collateral birds—
We shout down all the flight and they're stunned
By bad breath and embittered, foul tongues.
"At most recent count, up to 5,000 birds fell on the city. Sixty five samples were sent to labs, one of which is at the Livestock and Poultry Commission and the other in Madison, Wis. "
—CAMPBELL ROBERTSON, The New York Times, Published: January 3, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/us/04beebe.html
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8 comments:
"We've spit sacraments into the mouth of God" is a great line!
Excellent take on this odd event
Nicely crafted. Sad about the black birds, but there were also starlings involved and I hate starlings....they aren't native.
I read your poems every week. I never comment. We see the world through different eyes. Today, though, the focus fine tuned. We see it much the same.
i have been reading about these birds..we also had 40,000 crabs washed up on one of our beaches over here...strange times these...great use of words here...and very much agree with steve about the choice of a great line....cheers pete
Powerful thoughts, great lines..
Here is my one shot:
musical whirlwind
Really quite a sad and scary reality here, very well done writing of it! ~ April
what a crazy event...will be intrigued to see the findings...as to your verse, the spitting sacraments in Gods mouth gets attention and draws images nicely...
Sharp tone, memorable lines in this.
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