The birds will save us
Not gulls saving the pioneers save us
The other salvation
The birds will save us
A direction known
A path to follow
Show up
Keep together
Return to the reliable
Gather when necessary
Community
A calling to survive
To reproduce
Return again and again
Pay attention
Learn from them
Marvel at their wildness
Hold them in your heart
Keep them in your dreams
Stand with them when the time comes
The birds will save us

Note from the poet: I’ve spent all my days in this valley. Raised my daughters here, hiked these mountains, skied these canyons, swam these rivers, marveled at many a Wasatch sunrise. These past months I’ve rekindled my relationship with Great Salt Lake and found the loving community that surrounds her.