Day 3 National Poetry Month 2016: Country Living
When I moved
to this country home
I knew I did
just the right thing.
Yes, I miss the power lines,
the ability to skitter
from tree to tree
along city streets.
Yes, I miss my cousins
who nested in the trees
near my old home
and would stop by to visit.
But it was noisy there
in the city,
and the cars
were too frequent.
When I arrived
at my country home
I knew this would be
the place I'd live forever.
Yes, I have to watch for the dog
that races out of the house
from time to time
wanting to play chase.
Yes, I have to watch for the coyote
who saunters through the fields
every now and then
looking for his next meal.
But, there are no squirrels
that live nearby,
when oak drops her acorns
they are all mine.
Cars are rarely seen
near my new home,
and the quiet is something
I have learned to love.
Today I found the best treasure:
stuffing for my new nest.
It's fluffy white
like the clouds in the sky.
to this country home
I knew I did
just the right thing.
© Cathy L. Mere, 2016
The Idea
Ha! Today's poem came walking up to my patio - literally.
We moved into our country home over twenty years ago. One of the first things we noticed was that we didn't have any squirrels. It was strange. We had trees. We had food, but we didn't have squirrels. We had moved to our country home from the city where squirrels were abundant. They'd race from tree to tree, across power lines, and into the roads a drop of a nut.
Last year we noticed our first squirrel. It was a red tailed squirrel who seemed to own our back acreage. This spring we've noticed a gray squirrel. Hmmm. Yesterday morning as I wrote my poem I looked out on the patio to see the gray squirrel grabbing the stuffing from one of our patio chair pillows. I had been blaming the birds, but it was the thief of a squirrel who was doing it.
It's National Poetry Month! I will be joining others across the blogosphere to attempt to write a poem every day during the month of April. You'll find other great poetry stops in my sidebar.
The squirrel, as you've imagined, must be in heaven, all the acorns in the world for one, now two. I put a quilt out in the summer on my porch and those "darn" squirrels keep stealing the batting. I don't like it, but as you wrote, they must think it's wonderful. Love the voice, Cathy.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun feeling my brain flip when I realized the squirrel was speaking and not you! Great voice!!
ReplyDeleteLike Mary Lee, at first I thought it was you talking about moving to a country home, and then I realized it was the squirrel. I love his/her voice- as sole proprietor of the acorns! I'm surprised, though, that he/she steals the batting from your pillow. I have never heard of that. And I wonder why you wouldn't have squirrels out in the country. It seems like there should be lots!
ReplyDeleteLoved the poem and the picture is awesome!!!! I bet it has a deluxe apartment somewhere close to your house!!!! I never thought about the fact that we never saw squirrels out there..
ReplyDeleteThis is stinkin' adorable! I love that little poet squirrel who is happy that those acorns are "all mine." Squirrel poet indeed...Daniel should have met him in that book! xx
ReplyDeleteNeed some new fangled thots, ideers, names? "Step right up, laddy!!" cries the carnival barker: if I'm a sower, we plant the Seed; if I'm an artist, we write the Word:
ReplyDeleteI actually saw Seventh-Heaven when we died: you couldn't GET any moe curly, extravagantly-surplus-lush Upstairs when my beautifull, brilliant, bombastic girl passed-away at 17.
"Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness as bright as stars for all eternity" -Daniel 12:3
Here's what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you' -the Infant Jesus of Prague.
Go git'm, girl. You're incredible.
See you Upstairs...
I won't be joining'm in da nasty Abyss
eklektikmantra.blogspot.com
-YOUTHwitheTRUTH
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PS While nobody is as brilliant as Dean Koontz, the absolute one thang nobody else possesses is YOU. So if ya need names, too, I gotta lotta cool ones. Lemme gonna gitcha started:
Oak Woods, Athena Noble, Autumn Rose, Faith Bishop, Dolly Martin, Willow Rhodes, Cocoa Major, China Stone, Bullwark Burnhart, Magnus Wilde, Kardiak Arrest, Will Wright, Goldy Silvers, Sophie Sharp, Gloria Hood, Violet Snow, Lizzy Roach, BoxxaRoxx, Aunty Dotey, Romero Stark ...
God blessa youse
-Fr. Sarducci, ol SNL