Chipmunk
Striped squirrel scampering,
chipping over the ground,
gathering grains and nuts,
berries, worms and birds’ eggs,
to cache in your burrow,
beneath my yard. Cheek pouches
full of harvest and hoard.
You shy secret-seedling
spreader, racing stripes
a blur, no wonder you
must sleep for half the day,
hidden in your tidy
tunnel, resting…from the
sowing of our future.
Notes: Chipmunks fulfill essential functions in woodland ecosystems. Their activities harvesting and hoarding tree seeds play an integral role in seedling establishment. They consume fungi in symbiotic relationships with trees and are a means of dispersal for spores of subterranean truffles.
Photo is mine.
Photo is mine.
11 comments:
Hi Carol. I love this poem, especially the 'harvest and hoard' and the 'racing stripes'. We have a chipmunk too, but I never see him at our feeder, only in his travels along the top rail of our fence. Jane
Wonderfully done! I really enjoyed this.
lovely poem, such good descriptions - I particularly like 'sowing of our future' - something we tend to forget I think!
that reminds me too that my parents were surprised to find a peanute plant growing in their garden, until they realised that a squirrel must have planted it!
Hi Jane,
Thank you. I love watching the chipmunk going about its rounds. They have such vibrant energy.
Hi Mama Zen,
Thank you. I had fun writing it and appreciate your feedback.
Thank you CGP,
I agree that sometimes we forget that these creatures are here to help our environment. They do plant surprises too. Thanks for the comment.
"racing stripes"-- Perfect!
"resting from the sowing of our future"-- What a lovely line!
I love your poem. I enjoy the way you go beyond cuteness to remind us that the chipmunk is at work in the great unimaginable plan of the Creator. Such fascinating little creatures with such enthusiasm for life. Thanks for noticing the "more" about them.
Debbie,
Thanks for your comment. Watching the chipmunk cavorting about the yard made me think of cars racing round a track. The energy and enthusiasm seem boundless.
Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for your comment. I was ignorant about how essential these small creatures are to our local ecology, until I started doing research. They have an integral part to play in nature.
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