now that human language has died out other language fills the generous gap whisper of bloom, susurration of leaf fall whale warble, coyote chorus, donkey bray cats on darkened city streets spar & yowl streams sizzle down ledges across the road weeks of rain, they say, make freshets of us water roars through & over breached dams gurgles through wetlands, cracks concrete poured by greedy men, yes, men — women did not ruin the earth — let cities & wars end governments & coin, genocide & servitude a trail of smoke from a small fire, a survivor boiling roots, cracking nuts for her last meal