the first day was a quiet day
as birds learned to sing;
things were churned out
of divine silent production lines;
creature factories painted the sky
with soft vapors becoming clouds;

later that night
when the creatures learned to hump
the jungle became a marvel --
a symphony of slithering
predators discovering their voices.

the second day was the eon
of earth and learning
as eyes began to recognize shapes
and shapes began to make sense
-- it was also the era
when the overcrowding began:
with baby creatures under
every turning blowing leaf,
and a sudden need for an
ungodly amount of food.

====

Published in Thorns of Nature anthology (2001)