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The Soothing Sound of Crickets
Gradually disappearing. . .
More than thirty years ago, my father confided to me that he could no longer hear crickets. I felt so moved by what he said that it prompted me to write a poem.
Now, nearly twenty years since his passing, I realize I too must strain to hear crickets in my backyard. But in this case it is not my hearing that is the problem. Instead, it all comes down to the fact there are many fewer crickets.
There was a time in my childhood when the throbbing songs of crickets were inseparable from the delights of summer nights. Now too often many of us must rely on recordings of crickets in order to experience that hypnotic, soothing sound.
A small loss, perhaps. But for the health of ourselves and our planet, every loss is important.