In the aftermath
Scurrying among the feet of Tyrannosaurus and Brachiosaurus
As they’ve done for millions of years
Were the new kings of the Earth.
They walked the windswept deserts
They flew the dusty, volcanic black skies
Feeding, as scavengers, on the carcasses of their overlords.
The only living remnants of their mighty empire were the small lizards and birds
Scurrying and hopping among the dead bodies.
Over the millennia
The grasses and plants came back.
The skies became blue and clear.
Once again the trees grew to towering heights.
The dust from the old empire cleared
Revealing a new world.
The sun shone through a new canopy to a new forest floor.
Mammals took their place as the rightful heirs of the world.
They filled in old niches.
Lived with the birds and lizards.
For a long time things were peaceful.
The mammals and birds were equals
But the birds had a problem with this.
As the ancient heirs to the dinosaur throne they wanted to rule.
Evolution became the solution to their problem.
The birds grew gigantic
They developed powerful legs and huge jaws.
With these weapons, they took many parts of the world.
They terrorized the small horses.
The rebellion started.
Titanis in the north, Argentavis in the south.
The leaders of the rebellious terror birds.
They ruled their lands with iron wings.
Chomping down on the little animals and making life miserable.
They slowly moved up north
Crossing the land bridge.
Then they met resistance.
Finally, death came for them as well.
No one knew what it was that stopped them.
Now the giant birds live peacefully as docile Cassowaries, Emus, and Ostriches.
.
