[BIRDS CHIRPING]
OK, a poem called Birds of the Holy Lands.
Shifting modes a bit.
"Birds of the Holy Lands.
Jerusalem is just above the 38th parallel,
about the latitude of Charleston, Montgomery,
Jackson.
I often listen for the birds of the holy lands.
Sometimes you can hear them behind the news
between the gunshots and imagine the dappled shadows
beside the fountain in a courtyard with olive trees
and myrtle bushes.
And the peaceful chirping of sparrows
creates a restful space for the mind."