in the morning i gradually filter sounds through my eardrums. firstly, i notice the radio is still on faintly so i blindly stumble to the knobs and turn it down, off, then leap back to my bed to slumber. some unknown time passes and sounds of a dog’s bark alerts my senses, a rattle of a gate shakes me and by the time i am actually near awaking my ears are filtering in a symphony of bird’s calls; ravens, the most prevalent are like the aarg of the bird-clock-alarm world, high tweets from the california towhee are softer and almost as loud, really driving in the “wake up” - wake up” alarm of the early morning, a bubbling ensemble from some finches opens an eye, closes, a number of other warbles, coos, and flitters enter my ears and make me smile, and as the time the soft vibrating shrills of tiny, competing, elevating hummingbirds enters my head, i’m fully awake and car zonnngs, airplane buzzes, anonymous mechanical startups and occasional talk from people drown out the birds and i want to fall back asleep, forget i’m in civilization, and dream of birds, especially the falcon and owl whom i haven’t heard from for days