Portents.

On my way to the office today, I passed a neighbor-colleague's house just as he was packing his children into the car for school. He was telling them a story, and his voice drifted down the driveway: "Yes we can! Yes we can!"

Moments later, I saw a turkey vulture with its wings fully outstretched. It perched in the very top of a leafless tree. Another vulture sat beside it, as if waiting. The vulture with its wings out seemed not to move. I peered into the sun, watching for any sign of life. The outstretched wings did not even tremble. The huddled vulture sat still. I imagined the last sweep of air, the last swoop toward the tree, and then a branch through the breastbone, an impalement. I did not take a picture.

But hours later, both birds were gone.

Everywhere here today, people were giddy, exhausted, quietly gleeful. The world runs on as it did yesterday, only more so.