25.01.2021
Ten Thousand Birds Blinded to Death
Ten Thousand Birds Blinded to DeathThat's what it says, here, in the paper
Just a paragraph, some non-event
A little tragedy in the night
Close to Kingston, Ontario
During the Fall migrations
Since time out of mind
Birds crossed the sky in long lines
And warblers, and bitterns
Took flight in the clouds they formed
A long spell of northern cold
Blown towards coral reefs and atolls.
(Chorus)
On a huge chimney
That towered above the whole region
At the plant, during the year
They installed floodlights
To make sure that airplanes
And wayfaring angels
Flying around in the dark
Would avoid collisions
(Chorus)
All were fatally blinded
Many hurled themselves on the tower
Or ceaselessly flew around
Until they fell from exhaustion
This lasted three whole nights
And I don't know why the story
That didn't draw a lot of attention
Still burns in my memory
(Chorus)