All the Secrets of the Night

There was a bird that knew all the secrets of the night.

It saw the man in the expensive suit on his cell phone, whispering secrets to the air. His shipment was coming from down south, a poison to spread through the city’s veins.

It smelt the foul smoke, belched from black towers, choking the Earth in grey.

It heard the cries of the beautiful wife, caught in the churning waters, and the laughter of her handsome husband who would listen until she screamed no more.

But the bird knew also the clink of the small child’s coin – given while the mother was not looking – and the whispered thank you of the worn old woman. It knew the young lovers dancing in the dark and their secret vows. It knew the crackle of warm fires fueled by old newspapers.

It knew shadows and starlight both, but could speak of neither.

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Word Count: 150

This is for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. Thanks to Priceless Joy for running the challenge and JS Brand for providing the prompt photo!