I wrote this a couple of years ago. Thanks to Helen, it sounds very nice now. It’s inspired by Luke 12 6–7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows”, and the chapter on the UK sparrow population in Michael McCarthy’s The Moth Snowstorm.

This is why I feel so emotional about sparrows these days, particularly after two big grous moved back into our street in the quiet of the first lock down.