did you hear

did you hear a caterpillar whisper

soon I’ll be a butterfly

become awed listening to

a croaking frog

smile knowing nature greets you

as a hawk screeches in the sky.

did you hear a blade of grass

sigh as you passed

as you ventured along

your chosen path.

did you hear a barking dog

chained in a yard

wanting to be free, run

down a road with no return

loving having so much fun.

did you hear a woodpecker

deliberately enjoying an old oak tree

just like you when you breathe

in fresh air to live.

did you hear a poem being written

from the heart after once smitten

did you swim deep enough into it

to drown your own misery.