Fallen trees do make noise

when they fall in the forest

other creatures with ears hear

the first crack, followed by

a quickening whoosh

wings flap frantically,

nails clutch and claw,

tiny hearts beat feverishly

black eyes darting around.

The tree levels anything in its path

landing hard, ground thundering,

rumbling underfoot like an aftershock.

Peace returns as swiftly as it left,

no audible evidence of the trauma,

but nevertheless the environment

is changed in an irreversible way.

If my spirit falls and no one is there

to witness it, is my anguish real?

Does the deafening sound

only exist in the prison of my mind?

Am I left alo...

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