mother's day, dark and light

• Last week a neighborhood cat toppled the fully-occupied birdhouse in our backyard. We scooped the babies back into the fold and the mother returned. But apparently it was in vain, because on Mother's Day the father came to call and found the sad contents .  I have never heard a bird so clearly cry "where is she, what happened to my family?" He might as well have been speaking English instead of Sparrow. I almost felt guilty enjoying the gifts from my own baby birds : new sheets flapping in the breeze and new music installed in the shop. I hope she (mama bird) comes back next year. We will be nailing down the house.