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Where Do Birds Go When They Die?

by

In all my years of bird watching

From field and woodland walking,

From pavement pressing,

I have never seen the body of a bird.

Never!

Where do they go – to die?

Thousands of birds?

 

I understand decomposition, of course!

Rapid rotting of little bodies.

But feathers, and feet?

How do they simply 'disappear'?

Is it really just a matter of scale?

And human inattention?

 

And the huge numbers of pigeons

Co-habiting our concrete world?

Logic would suggest that once in awhile –

A dead bird.

But no!

Perhaps local managements

Clear the walkways of villages, towns and cities

Before daily business begins.

 

Where do birds go when they die?

I am not being facetious.

I really do wonder.

Birds and clouds and leaves -

Absolutely amazing!

Among a gazillion things

In this wide, wonderful World.

What a HOME - EARTH!

 

Cynthia Buell Thomas, Oct. 2019

🌷(3) 

◄ An Irish Prayer (author unknown)

Portrait of the Moon ►

Comments

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Ruth O'Reilly

Sun 13th Oct 2019 12:30

I have often wondered the same thing about birds Cynthia. Birds are completely fascinating, from the beautiful powerful song from such a tiny pair of lungs, to the intelligence that goes into building their nests. Their brains are like nature's original microchips surely! I do worry about birds when the weather starts to get colder as it is now.

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kJ Walker

Sat 12th Oct 2019 22:19

Hi Cynthia, I'm glad you posted this as it's a question I've wondered myself. I wouldn't say you never see a dead bird, but considering how many live ones there are you don't see that many dead ones.

Thanks Kevin

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M.C. Newberry

Sat 12th Oct 2019 21:38

I've posed this question myself on WOL - particularly with regard to
the ubiquitous pigeon in city streets. Do other pigeons carry them
off to some avian Valhalla when their time comes? As for the
appearance of other lifeforms, my securely wrapped plastic bags of
kitchen waste suddenly display insect activity within supposedly
secure confines - how so? There was none in the freshly discarded
items when the container - usually a clear polythene bag - was put
aside before being placed into the large black plastic rubbish bag that
the council insist on. I suspect that when we have seen the end of
humanity on this planet, other smaller lifeforms will be getting on
with their own extraordinary ability to survive and prosper - even
without human rubbish to visit uninvited and thrive on !

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raypool

Sat 12th Oct 2019 15:32

Hi Cynthia. Isn't it a mystery as you say. The converse may be said about where do Garden spiders emerge from. When I found a blackbird dead in my garden(cat kill probably) there were bluebottles everywhere. Where from?

Enjoyed the poem. Ray

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Cynthia Buell Thomas

Sat 12th Oct 2019 14:42

Once certain words hit my head, they have to find release. Kind of on the premise that they must have some value or they wouldn't have 'come'. And I then wonder: a thought worth sharing?

I mostly say to myself: If this thought amuses me, perhaps it will 'tickle' someone else. Or they'll think I'm an idiot! Either way - OK.

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