In the Absence of People

A Ballad by Rachel Clarke.
Written during the first lockdown, 2020.

There was a stillness, a great stillness
blanketing the land
And we listened…
And heard nothing…
And we listen…
And we hear…

The rising buzz of excitement
is not the humankind,
it’s the rhythmic whispering of trees,
it’s hummed chords from millions of bumble bees,
this drumming was made from the score
of stomping red ants’ feet.

From Sydney to Tripoli,
From Frankfurt to Bagdad
nature enjoyed the space it now had -
no longer pushed to the periphery
by chain-saws, waste and industries
it reclaimed the oceans, and planned
to one day reclaim the cities.

Earth returned to a state of Eden,
where all animals had their freedom,
Baby turtles hatched in peace upon empty beaches,
rare dolphins bred in clear-watered seas.
both no longer endangered species.
the sheep grazed wild wherever they wanted to
with their lambs, no longer to the slaughter
and calves finally drank the milk of their mothers.
Chickens grew as big as horses,
the rainforest recovered with all its resources,
the monkeys returned to the forest floor, un-hunted and unburnt.
and pigs now free, reached old age
with enough space
to enjoy a roll in the mud!

….

Duration of the Storytelling performance, 12 Min.