when it was just us,
your birdlike chatter sounded
like a jungle symphony of beauty,
your words dripping with inquiry,
your passions intense with dedication.

now, bright new birds have invaded
our once-peaceful jungle of language,
and cacophony blinds my ears,
stings with acrid haste my tongue,
sends us spinning to the canopy, lost.

i hope that we can find the place
somewhere between the lowest and highest limb
where the movements of your symphony
will smooth out our tumultuous cacophony,
so that together, birdlike, our song’s lyrics
will draw out the best voices in all of us.