The Birds Are Going

I could see piñon, locust and cottonwood trees. Also a variety of neatly trimmed shrubs. R. and I were doing errands and for the moment we sat in the car in an office complex parking lot while she took a call. I gazed out the windows and saw not one bird near or far. Not one. While the sunlight coming in felt good, I felt a sense of alarm stir deep inside me.

There were lots of cars. The parking lot was full of them. On the nearby street a constant stream of people went by in them. I did not see a single pedestrian.

In Silent Spring (Houghton Mifflin, 1962), author Rachel Carson describes her fear that one spring day, due to environmental stresses caused by human activity we may find ourselves in a world devoid of wildlife and thus without the sounds of their calls. It is an excellent read. The book created quite a stir, particularly in the pesticides industry and is credited with bringing the widespread use of DDT to a halt. About it, noted biologist and researcher Edward O. Wilson said, “… Silent Spring delivered a galvanic jolt to the public consciousness and, as a result, infused the environmental movement with new substance and meaning.” This is probably true, but it wasn’t enough.

In my day to day existence I am an optimist. Life is exceedingly good. But when I take a long view, I do not like what I see. At all. What I see makes me very sad. And sadly, it’s just the way it goes.

Gordon Bunker