Bird Song in Mariupol
Walking out on a glorious spring day Bird song fills the air above my head Amsterdam is a- ok, while far away Ukrainian bells toll their latest dead. Few trees left standing, no eaves to nest As far as a hawk’s eye can see: rubble Walking in Mariupol means instant death And staying, caged in a steel works tunnel. Locals claim they’ve seen shadows of birds Gliding like augurs over the shattered town And the voice of a soldier can still be heard Singing her heart out as bombs rain down. So much from so little, the power of song Springs from a handful of words and notes Driving emotion against those in the wrong Strengthening the bond of the Ukrainian folk. Bird songs can be clearly detected In western newscasts from the front line Nature’s routines seem unaffected Performing to the habits of time. Down to his last tractor, an old man Defiantly plants sun-flower seeds Within range of a Russian battalion Whose shells flatten houses and trees. He no longer hears his garden’s song Despite the beauty of its score The birds involved are 30 strong Including the carrion crow and its caw.This post first appeared on Angie's Diary | Literary Magazine & Guest, please read the originial post: here
