Everyday I rejoice in the hedgerow outside my windows. I hadn’t thought beyond the color, the
delicious green, when I first arrived.
Later I awoke to the skunks, and other critters that flitted in and out
of the greenery. Only slowly did I come
to realize that this once decoratively planted hedge had grown into a European
style hedgerow.
The great geezer gave me a once around tour of the property yesterday. This place is put on a shelf cut from a
canyon wall, and the west and north borders are topped by a now old and unkempt hedgerow. Leafy tall, almost vine like bushes are
supported by old growth trees and fronted by grass and weeds.
Inside this now almost natural barrier, mice families grow,
a skunk family with one brave leader forages, and birds of all sizes live fairy
tale lives. I’ve heard of a large fat
possum but haven’t seen him yet. I have
seen the mice and scrub jays. Some kind
person donated small bird seed, and slowly they have discovered this feast
waiting for them at the edge of the canyon.
I still enjoy the
powerful greens, but now I find myself watching the leaves to see behind the
twitches and wiggles to what lives behind.
I remember being enchanted by those hedgerows in England. Still, it's true they do become a fairy tale home for some happy creatures. I don't think I'd mind the occasional hedgehog, but skunk? No way.
ReplyDeleteWith your artist's eye and your poet's heart.
ReplyDeleteThe twitches and wiggles are certainly entertaining!
ReplyDeleteSo many things to observe in nature and once you begin doing it you realize the world is alive at the microlevel. Most days we are rushing about and fail to see these wonders. Good thing you are experiencing a pause in your life I think.
ReplyDeleteDianne
PS glad you liked the poems. The second one is funny when read with the first one, and I know you have the right kind of humour to appreciate the irony.