After the smoke clears and unnatural sounds dissipate
the valley, mountains, and river return.
The mountain shadow continues the journey started millions of years before
and the river moves animals and earth further downstream to fertile
lands and eventually to the delta spreading its fingers for miles with
long threads reaching into the sea.
For a moment the clouds pause as birds swarm from the forest
and overtake the sky filled with defined shapes alternating
from grey to pink as the sun has completed another day and makes
its way to the horizon before one last wink says goodnight.
Beyond the clouds there is hope of peace.
