Hummingbirds and Quail are Missing (a Covid-19 Poem)
It is May 27 and something is wrong
In my tiny part of the world,
I have not seen any quail
Since the end of 2019.
No sightings of the skittish, running birds
That normally move in and out
Of the brush and trees around the meadow,
Or cross the streets
In single file.
Nor since January,
Have the darting flights of hummingbirds
Zoomed through the atmospheric space
Between neighboring houses,
And each day after day I have observed
That all the hanging red glass feeders
Filled with high energy sugary food
Remain full.
Although many other birds sing around me
On my morning perambulations,
There is a void,
But not the only one.
Just a few weeks ago
I would walk and talk
Moving on my morning paths and sidewalks
And walk and talk again
To neighbors and strangers alike --
Shooting the breeze.
Now I keep my distance --
A simple wave of the hand
And a shouted good morning
Are the extent of my interactions.
I do not pet and play
With the dogs on their leashes now
They are too close to their humans
And may also be carriers of the virus.
I am in a bubble
That veers away from
Possible interactions with other people
On my walks
And in the aisles of the grocery store,
Unable to risk
The sharing of air.
I do not know why
The hummingbirds and quail are missing,
Nor did I know how much
I would miss
The nearness of the crowds.
©2020 Carl Scott Harker
My latest collection of poetry can be found on Amazon here: The Van Gogh Poems and Other Poetry