NaPoWriMo 2017, Day 23, an Animal Poem

 

Ground Squirrel Running

 

I think that I shall never see

A rodent as lovely as the

little ground squirrel that crossed my path**

 

So hurriedly it ran in front of me

She was escaping the 4-10

A hunter had her in his sights

 

How do I know it was a 'she'

Not very hard this time of year

Mother's out to forage for food

 

Six hungry mouths to feed at home

There is no season on her kind

Colorado.  Shooting practice

 
Run, run, little squirrel that I found
Those babies need you every spring
_ _ _ _ _
.
 - Photo and Poem Copyright © 2017 Jimmiehov, All Rights Reserved
 - Photo: Richardson's Squirrel photo, Richardson's Squirrel photo, Wikipedia

 - I'm linked with Gillena Cox at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, “FASHION ME YOUR WORDS ~ The way you see it”, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com/2017/04/fashion-me-your-words-way-you-see-it.html 

  --- - - and   
  - also to Day Twenty-three of NaPoWriMo,  http://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-three-3/

  - The instructions from Gillena: "FASHION ME YOUR WORDS : The way you see it.
Choose a poem preferable one you think you know pretty well. Look upon it with a fresh new view. What is your reaction, after this reading? Now, write a new poem based on the way it triggers in you a response after this reading. (Do not post the poem you chose at your blog, add a reference link only, if there's one, or mention it in a process note)
Post only your reaction poem, the way you see it."
 - **My reference Poem is the first poem I ever memorized, "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)(He was killed by a sniper's bullet at the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the age of 31), https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/detail/12744 (Joyce Kilmer's life Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Kilmer)
 - Trees, first two lines: 
"I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree"
 - Ground squirrel hunting in Colorado, "No season" means their is no closed season for breeding of the animals, etc.  Hunting is allowed at any time.  If the mother in my poem is killed the six babies (averaged size litter) will die of starvation.  Some groups are working for a closed period for hunting small animals in the spring while the mothers carry and then give their babies a start in life.  = Photo:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Richardson%27s-Szmurlo.jpg/1200px-Richardson%27s-Szmurlo.jpg