Your recent absences have become
More pronounced;
The late spring evenings are no longer
Alive with the industry of your approach,
And the flowers in the hanging baskets
On the high street fidget with uncertainty.
We know that something is wrong, and
So we call a meeting in the public library, where
We trace your ancestry across
The monarchies of a golden past;
Hidden in dusty tomes and sticky catalogues
As we carefully map out the
Richness of your species, placing them
Into statistical bins that we categorise
As familiar genres.
Your range, social behaviours, and
Nesting habits are well known to us.
We have even begun to stockpile
Your favourite flowers – a belated apology
For when you
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