with a sudden rush of green
that spread throughout the city
like a swirling figurine.
It twirled beneath the moonlight
down to the city park,
spreading seeds ... "
The children can see it coming! Their adults are too busy with electronic devices to notice. The animals are playful in their response to it. Night is falling, and soon darkness will afford a chance for that distant wind to work its magic.
The dreariness of their city will soon know the power of nature. The wind brings with it the seeds needed to fill the nooks and crannies of the concrete city streets, rooftops, parking lots. As rabbits watch, owls chase, squirrels scamper and birds fill the air, the seeds are further scattered. And then, the rain.
"A steady rain began to fall
upon the town in sheets
as saplings started taking root
along the city streets."
When the rain subsides, there is still time for moonlight to shine down and for interested readers to see the beauty of the burgeoning natural world. At sunrise, families appear and look with awe at these new surroundings. Electronic devices have disappeared and children hold hands with surprised adults. Careful observers will note the animals also inspired by the sight.
The rhyme and rhythm of Charles Ghigna’s poetry and the wonder of nature shown in impeccably rendered digital artwork are worthy of celebration and close observation. The world created by Annie Wilkinson moves seamlessly from dusk until dawn, changing the urban backdrop from dull and dreary to lively and vibrant.
How disconnected are we from the world we live in: its beauty and its sustenance for our spirits? Books like this one bring an awareness, and ache with promise. It's up to us!
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