"Meeting the Demand" Inspired by Starlings:

Meeting the Demand

The demand isn’t made with words.

We know it’s time for another sacrifice

when the flowers begin to wilt

and the snow stops melting,

when the birds become aggressive

and healthy neighbors become sick.

We put on our best dresses and play music,

as if dancing in the square will make us forget

the loss our town is about to witness—

the rate of loss our town maintains

in attempt to satisfy the monster in the dark.

The monster pretends to care.

After the cheerful funeral,

our town will thrive again

for a time.

But, for some, it is only survival.

For some, it is one sacrifice closer to their own.


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