when we arrived here
we couldn’t count the the trees
for the forest was denser than dense
We made our homes high up in canopies
enormous blankets at the tips of branches
warmed by the sun from above
cooled by the trees’ breath from below
We lived in cozy hollows
curtesy of the woodpeckers
whose day job was clearing out
the unwanted visitors nibbling
at the trees’ interiors
Some of us preferred the forest floor
We had a system that pleased us
It was a luxury accommodation
A high-rise apartment building made of manna
So many stories
I could tell
And never did we struggle for our food
was everywhere.
Now we are here at your mercy
After you wiped the earths slate clear of trees
Replaced them with brick and mortar and steel and glass
Which by the way, fools us into thinking
The forest is infinite
Like it once was.
But that’s ok
We adapted
We are clever too like you are
We’ll walk your high wires
that keep you connected
We’ll nest in your eaves
Feed at your windows
Pollinate what is left of your trees
I see you are keeping bees now too
Generous of you to do it
We Birds and those bees always had a lot of lessons
tucked under our wings for you.
Michel is a painter and multi-media artist who has actively exhibited in galleries, museums and art guilds in the U.S. and Europe. Her work is widely collected. She has published several books of poetry and her drawings and paintings are included in those publications.
