Animal Thoughts

Ok - be honest. How many of you saw the title and came to my blog spot thinking you were going to read about my psychotic cat? While I could do a blog on her, that is not what this post is about.

Have you ever wondered what goes through the minds of those kamikaze squirrels or suicidal rabbits? You know what I'm talking about. The squirrel that just sits there on the side of the road until the very last minute when you are inches away then it just darts out in front of you? You know that he has a friend on the other side of the road who did a double dog dare you to run in front of the next car that comes along. Or the rabbit who is sitting in the middle of the road and waits until you are right on top of them and you swerve to miss the rabbit and the stupid rabbit sprints the same way you swerve. This causes you to swerve the other way and it's like that rabbit is connected to your car because it does the exact same thing!

Now, I'm used to seeing rabbits and squirrels and opossoms and raccoons even then occassional fox while I'm driving. Heck, I grew up in a small town and drove lots of country roads. Even here in Tulsa it's not uncommon to see the above-mentioned animals in the neighborhood. We have raccoons that live in our drainage ditch - and man those suckers are huge! Animals are encroaching on our territory. Or more likely we are encroaching on theirs as cities and towns expand. So animals and humans are learning to co-habitat to a degree.

Now, as I said, you have come to maybe not expect to see these animals but you certainly aren't surprised when you come across them in the neighborhood. But there are times when you see a dead squirrel or rabbit in the unexpected place. Like the on-ramp of the expressway. There aren't really any trees around there that they would be living in or gathering nuts from. Did that squirrel think it was gonna get on the expressway and just see what was going on clear on the other side of the 6 lanes of traffic and the median? Did he have a family that he was trying to get to? Who knows, but he didn't make it. Stupid squirrel -- he should not have taken the shortcut across the expressway.

Well, if you know me very well you know that I like to write poetry. Some of it is serious and some of it is just for fun. Just about anything can start the wheels in my head turning and before you know it a new poem is written. Such is the case the day I saw the dead squirrel as I was going up the on-ramp to the BA. So, here's a just for fun sampling of poetry.

DEAD SQUIRREL

Poor little squirrel, flat as can be
What beckoned you so enticingly?

Were you looking for a special treat
Something really good to eat?

Maybe it was a double dog dare
That caused you to be out there.

You tempted fate and made a run
Surely you would be a lucky one.

Cross the street and back again
Back to play with all your friends.

Then you saw the car, it was red
You froze in place and now you're dead.

The car tried to make a swerve
But it was coming up a curve.

You made a bolt and turned to flee
Hoping to make it back to safety.

But your flight was an ill attempt
As under the tire your body went.

Nothing left but a flat pile of fur
Showing people just where you were.

Written by: Kathie Marrs
10/11/09