Because — strange waters bubbled up

In front of this place where I try to live

Bold birds appeared and played and preened

Despite the windy winter chill

Flocks fluttered in, mixed fearlessly — all different kinds

In brightly different hues, of wildly different size

From big tough jet-black crows to teeny tiny tits

And chickadees, some red breast robins too

And clumsy flickers, with rosy-amber throats

Thick black-striped wings and weird robotic cries.

Edenic? yes, at first, when birds appeared

And unknown cause remained unknown

As if, somehow, I just was sudden blest, beloved

At least, by a wide range of bright-winged birds

(A little cosmic taunt, that oh-so-brief-felt vibe)

Then — swift loud cosmic NO! no Eden here — stark horror

Water rising! suspect, spurting from some buried source

A growing flowing problem, here, now, right now

A problem, here, that I could never ever fix myself

A danger, fearsome, secret, true nature all unknown —

Is tainted water flowing out (though birds seem full of glee)?

Ought neighbours to be notified? how, if so? am I somehow to blame?

Are old foundations soaked clear through, now rotting underground?

If so, a cost, if borne by me (who else?) unmeetable, it seems

With household income at a sorry all-time low

And no clear future gigs to earn much more

An 'issue' in all times, but now, in covid mode

Like every bloody thing, just so much bloody worse — no norms

To be expected —but what would norms have ever been?

no clue . . . a childish sort, a dimwit dolt, have never

Dealt, myself, with such a dreadful outside thing before

Had really never even pictured, thought, in fact

That this, like death, could be a thing that might just happen,

Any day, and sudden, right here, right now, to me....

***