The foxes have gone to ground

The foxes
           have gone to ground
in the silence
           in the stillness
they know
           that something
is seriously wrong
           with the world

No more sunbathing
           on sheds roofs
no more slinking
           from garden to garden
no more wandering
           the streets after dark
no more chattering
           in the early hours

the foxes
           are self-isolating
mothers are confining
           their litters
to the lair
           they can sense
that something serious
           is afoot

John Lyons