The New Normal Jonathan May
6 the birds are confused — winter is here , but isn ’ t — spring is still a dream of water creeping up stems in the dark while we sleep and in the light which they most love — but back to the birds — they chirp in annoyance at the cars , epigenetics telling them there was something before this , when they flew giant-like in the skies , swooping down on fur — and winter too , where did it go ? but then again , for birds , things got real hot and then real cold and then pleasant like an eternal pastoral — now that things are cooking again , the birds are nervous and rattle within their nests — they ’ re beaking at the feather to know when things might revert — but lo , the woman on my block who walks to Walgreens and talks to the birds along her path , she can tell them why things might never be the same again — I would ask her too , but life must probably go on uninterrupted