GilesConradWatson's video: The Birds Reply to Saint Francis

The Birds' Reply to Saint Francis (Poem by Giles Watson.) After your sermon ended and you'd given us your blessing we left to seek our suppers in the stubble - very grateful for the love of one kind human and his god - and you - like birds - divested of possessions - went out among your species changing hearts. Alas - they rarely heeded - from the start. For the painters - we were all your congregation except for the apocalyptic crows - who ate the flesh of the unfaithful - upon the darker frescoes - yet they never stopped with rooting out our hedgerows and grubbing up our woods - or spreading poison - and they dared to call this rout the Age of Reason. So here we sit - upon our modern pylon - and call you back - your cowl a grizzled grey - if only you would preach - a desperate sermon to beg your flock to wonder at creation - to save what's left before all's cast away and hooded crows announce - the End of Days. Sound recording: Lars Edenius, Hooded Crow, Klabböle, Umeå, Västerbottens län, Sweden, Xeno-Canto, XC761844.