Bats in the Philippines

She told me that in the Philippines, As they all sat on the veranda, Bats would come up in hordes— Small-bodied bats with great wing-spread— Like clouds of rain.

While they all sat, she said, With their bamboo glasses And smelled the beginnings of evening, They remarked the bats only an instant Between the casual gossip.

Now, she said, those miles away And years away, she remembered the bats But none of the talk, Not one living soul! Except a young man, exceedingly drunk, Who told her bats were important.