Sounds of the City

White-crowned sparrow

At four o'clock this morning I heard a donkey bray. It was underneath the window and not too far away.


Then they started banging garbage cans; it sounded like an army. And monkeys started howling. I can tell you they're not charming.


I woke right well and thorough. No going back to sleep. It sounded like the city. Or a thousand blatting sheep.


Someone was doing surgery without an anesthetic. And the monkeys didn't like it; it was getting pretty hectic.


Then suddenly the penny dropped, though I got up anyway.


And damned those stupid peacocks for the way they start their day.