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maybe you
should have
spent your life
learning
the language of whales:

we know
that they have cultures,
that they celebrate identity,
that they exhibit joy and grief.
they understand that:
family,
community,
societies are important,
and they need each other.

seems like there might be
a few invaluable lessons
they could teach us.

maybe you
should have
spent your life
learning
the songs of whales:

humpbacks known
for their musical abilities,
frequently and mysteriously
change their tunes.
new melodies travel
through populations
across the seas
like a hit song.

it might sound
like a hiccup
or a creaking door
or a rocking chair
or a woop-woop.
you know—
different sounds.

then there's
more of a sad,
almost melancholy
sound to it
more like a song
they've memorized.

and what you hear
in one place
is often exactly
what you'll hear
in another place.