They Know the Time is Coming

By Andrew R. Duckworth

They know the time is coming,
The birds chirping more sharply,
With a quickness and clarity
That reeks of desperation,
The need to pass on information
Before the clock strikes twelve.
In the calm of a sunny day,
They beat their wings
On the highest branch,
On the lowest branch,
As if they never have before,
A rush to get affairs in order-
Oh, they know the time is coming.