Corruption

A bird flies overhead.
He looks up,
In Wonder
And Delight.

The bird,
So wonderful in sight.
It’s wings a bright blood red,
Breast a pale rose pink,
Tail a shimmering sun yellow,
Eyes--
Eyes such a hard, beautiful color of blue
That no one has ever seen before.

It sounds--
A breathtaking cry,
Loud
And
Full of Pride.

Everyone who witnesses
This historic scene,
Is filled
With a sense of
Peace,
Fulfillment,
And Pleasure.

But.
When it crosses him,
The man from town,
It stops.

It stops
Mid-cry,
Mid-beat,
Mid-breath.

It stops
To look
At her.

The bird,
So good,
So noble,
Turns.

It turns
Black.

The wings,
Once a bright striking red,
Now Black.

The breast,
Once a soft pale pink,
Now Black.

The tail,
Once the stunning yellow of the sun,
Now Black.

And the eyes…
The once-delightful blue of the eyes…
Black.