The air was thick like honey Looking from the room The room had open windows To let the springtime through Evening stood by watching At the side of summer's promise The flowers in her garden Were the envy of her friends How far are we from dying Is it nearly at an end? How far are we from dying Is it nearly at an end? The smoke hung on the skyline The city fell in silence The sunset ripe and mellow Was the light to write some thoughts by Her children watched for father From their window in the wall Said a prayer for Grandpapa And maybe many more Somewhere in the distance On a road so far away I heard the sound of life Though the people left for home Three birds flew off a building Standing proud against the sky Many more flew with them Spiralled upward like laughter Faster, harder, They rose up in a column Hundreds upon hundreds Twice that many wings beat Four miles across Stretched a million miles high The living pulsing column In the lady of the sky Feathers thrashed together Locked in that huge one I knew no-one could see it And now that it was gone I rubbed my eyes and tried to find A reason for the flight Exodus, escape, or was it just for me to see Like the mating of the earth and air Like water is to flowers The envy of her friends How far are we from dying Is it nearly at an end?