When All Is Said and Done

[brynmawr1]

When All Is Said and Done

I like the feel of newspapers.
I sort of miss the old Muntz
black and white TV, and guiding
rabbit ears for a picture; even
the sound of the dead channels.
The old humming wires
have all been detached now.

When I realize how much younger
so many of today’s pundits are
I can almost understand why they
seem so certain that their strident
babbling will actually make a difference.
I made the same mistakes, yet try
to save my breath now

for conversations with dogs,
or various other animals.
The other day, my wife caught me
talking to the spider on our arbor
as I marveled at the silky perfection
of the trap he laid.  I wonder
how he learned his craft.

Or the cardinals; how they know
how to weave their nest.  And why
don’t they migrate like the other birds? 
I have asked them.  I have not
gotten any answers, and don’t expect
I will. Yet their silence rings truer than today's
strident babbling- when more is said than done.

Hi Mark,
I enjoyed the poem, particularly the ending.  I work with animals for a living.  It's true animals don't talk much but they always have a lot to say if you listen.
Take care,
steve