The Silence of the Canaries

a lament masquerading as a senryu

Lately it feels like

The canary's been silent

For a long, long time

Jim Lonsdale Poetry 2025

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

I imagine there are many silent canaries about. Song birds stifled. Your senryu made me ponder on the continual wearing down of free speech we are experiencing in the UK. A tweet can send you to prison these days, no kidding. I want to hear the canaries sing. A topical write from my point of view Jim.

Chris

[Desert Knave]

Thank you ! Yeah, a lot of birds stifled or choosing to keep their silence. ~Jim

[Lydia Shutter]

Canaries not singing....perhaps because their free speech has been tampered with! Silence is not our friend, that's for sure. Lydi**

[Desert Knave]

Thanks. This one wrote itself for sure. ~Jim

[Michael Sun Bear]

It isn’t masquerading. Things are so out of whack here in the U.S. I feel the canary in the coal mine is dead and gone, has served its purpose to forewarn of disaster but its death is unheeded.

[Desert Knave]

Thanks. Yeah, the canary died a while back. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

It is more like the raven singing these days...shutting up the canaries because they are quite afraid of singing and then getting their heads chopped off.

The political scenario these days is like a bird cage that needs badly to be cleaned out.

[Desert Knave]

Thanks. Yes, a lot of cleaning is in order, but it will be a long time down the road, we are too splintered right now to do much of anything. ~Jim

[Light and ashes]

I think I can relate to this, well enough.
Good write.
I think it says a lot,
Which is ultimately the goal of writing poetry.

So I think that's a job well done.

[Desert Knave]

Thank you so much. ~Jim

[Light and ashes]

You are very welcome.