Silent Night

We are sitting in the patio on this warm evening. A nice, soft breeze makes us feel good. Everything is in bloom, the grass is juicy green. But! Where are the birds? Where are the flies? What happened to the mosquitoes? Where are the grasshoppers, the ants, the butterflies? Where did the squirrels go? Have they sprayed against the fruit flies without telling us? It is gruesome--unreal. The darkness closes in on the silent night.

GERHARD HENSCHKE

Van Nuys