Summer’s Echo

There was a time not long ago When flies could fly and crows did crow When flowers bloomed and trees turned green Where baby animals careened A time where eggs did hatch On top a prickly brown patch Where ice and snow were seen no more When shorts were all that we wore There was a time not long ago When chicks would feed On grass and seed When leaves would flow To the warm wind’s blow There was a time not long ago When the river was warm The banks children did swarm When the beaches filled Of families and friends thrilled Now gone the echoes of joy don't last Flies no longer buzz, crows don't crow The flowers wilt, the trees now slow The baby animals no longer free Only memories of what used to be The time when eggs would crack Now just a distant flashback Ice and snow now cover the land Shorts abandoned, seemingly banned Chicks no longer chirp and feed Leaves fall silently, no longer heed The river once warm, now cold and still Empty beaches, a void that fills Gone is the time not long ago When summer's warmth would glow Now just a bittersweet memory Of a season that used to be.