Each dusk they fly in flocks
Across the inky sky
A gathering murmuration

And as the starlings gather
Bats begin to flit
And weave their frantic patterns

This transit brings to mind
Another distant view
The passing of the sun

We gathered in your garden
Equipped with tinted glasses
To watch the solar eclipse

Back then, as now, the birds
Flew across the horizon
Going home to roost

But soon it’s time for you
To take to wing and pass
Go heading home to roost

Fly safely, my old friend,
Through this liminal place
And soon the sun will shine

The starlings are massing as night falls.
(08.04.25)

© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Jan Haerer on Unsplash