The Awful Moment when Birds became Cell Phones and Nature Seemingly Ceased to Hold Relevance.

I was driving

my son to soccer practice

when I heard a high pitched song

which I mistook

for a cell phone ring tone.

He corrected me,

as is his habit, with attitude 

and middle school condescension,

That was a bird, Dad.

I thanked him and

wondered when

this subtle shift in perception

would render my river

unrecognizable.