Open Poetry #43 |
The Vixen |
LindsayP Member Elite
since 2007-07-28
Posts 3410Australia, Victoria |
THE VIXEN When the dark shadows fall And the wise mopokes call, The vixen then starts on her prowl, She pricks up her ears As a pathway she steers Away from a dog’s distant howl. Her memory is clear For she remembers with fear Of the hunt and the hounds that were in it, For she slept in the hay Of a stack yesterday And escaped only at the very last minute. In a flash she set sail With hounds hot on her trail Followed by men in red capes, Nor did her pace ever slacken As she fled through the bracken Until at last she made good her escape. Now with her senses alert She’s the perfect advert Of wild things that are tuned to survive, And her cubs in their lair In hunger wait there For the food that will keep them alive. She’s very much in need Herself of a feed, Food to keep up her strength, And at last I suppose Through using her nose She scents out her quarry at length. A sharp piercing squeal Is the last final seal Of death, in the darkness of night, And that young rabbit’s mate Who missed the same fate Trembles deep in his burrow in fright. She eats up her meal Then with conscience she feels The urge to take food to her den, With energy regained And whiskers bloodstained She sets out on the hunt once again. |
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© Copyright 2008 Lindsay P Wilson - All Rights Reserved | |||
Alison
since 2008-01-27
Posts 9318Lumpy oatmeal makes me crazy! |
Lindsay, Although I just posted a poem about eating moose, I hate hunting for sport. I have watched the fox around my place and enjoy their intelligence and curiousity. I love rabbits too, but it's a harsh world for the animals. They have enough trouble surviving each other without humans making a game out of killing them. Okay, I'll shut up - and may take it in the shorts for eating moose meat and then pulling out my soap box. We all have our buttons and your poem prodded at one of mine. Thank you for such a good poem. Alison |
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Roniece Dawson-Bruce Member Ascendant
since 2000-01-29
Posts 5689Sydney, Australia |
hugs our Ali-girl.. you tell such a vivid and captivating story our dear Lindsay.. love RDB Be kind at heart....for everyone you meet has their own battle to fight......... |
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Robert E. Jordan Member Rara Avis
since 2008-01-25
Posts 8541Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Yo LindsayP, This is a well done poem. It makes good use of end rhymes. Bobby |
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Rick Member Elite
since 2001-06-21
Posts 2903Victoria, Australia |
Hi Lindsay, enjoyed the poem Lindsay, well written with good flow and story. Take care mate and see you soon. Rick |
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BluesSerenade Member Patricius
since 2001-10-23
Posts 10549By the Seaside |
I throughly enjoyed your story telling. I especially liked this verse... _________________________________________ Now with her senses alert She’s the perfect advert Of wild things that are tuned to survive, And her cubs in their lair In hunger wait there For the food that will keep them alive. __________________________________________ We are all born with a natural instinct to protect and care for our babies. I think we humans are pretty much on the same page, survival is what it is....isn't it!! You captured the "need" with a wonderful rhythm and flow. |
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Bill Charles Member Patricius
since 2000-07-11
Posts 10619highways, & byways, for now |
LindsayP - great write of the life of a vixen. Surely tells it true... BC |
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LindsayP Member Elite
since 2007-07-28
Posts 3410Australia, Victoria |
Dear Alison I'm so glad that you liked my poem and I thank you for making the effort to respond, but by the same token a lot of folk haven't any idea the death rate among native animals and birds and domestic livestock exacted on them by the wiley fox. Three times in a period of twenty years the foxes raided our fowl house and killed every single fowl that they could catch, biting their heads off and leaving them strewn all around the place. I cannot count the times that I've seen new born lambs, dead with their tongue eaten out by foxes. I have hunted them all my life but since I have retired, I must be getting soft, as we have a wild fox coming each night to the back door for his nightly meal. Rabbits are lovely cuddly little creatures and my two youngest daughters kept show rabbits for a number of years as teenagers and showed them with great success, however the wild rabbit in Australia has been an absolute catastrophy, costing the nation millions and millions of dollars in lost grazing lands and the destruction of native plants and trees. People who have never seen a rabbit plague just could not imagine how thick they can be. They will denude every green thing that they can reach and before they introduced myxamotosis they ran in millions in times of plague. many farmers have been made bankrupt through the ravages of the rabbit. But on top of all that I sold my guns twenty tears ago and today I would not shoot a living thing. Sorry to be so long winded with my response. Love to you dear lady. Lindsay |
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LindsayP Member Elite
since 2007-07-28
Posts 3410Australia, Victoria |
To my very good friends Roniece, Bobby, Rick, Blue Seranade and Bill, Take a bow all you generous folk for it is responses such as yours that make writing poems such a pleasureable pasttime. May the sun shine upon you always. Lindsay |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
quote: Though the above lines touch my sensitive heart, I know that reality out there is a matter of survival and it is a tough tough world for all the animals. I enjoyed reading your very beautiful poem and also your reply to Alison. I know of the rabbit problems in Australia. You reminded me also of my stepfather's participation in exhibitions of Belgian giant rabbits. He had this passion and won almost always the first prize. They were so biiiig and beautiful. There was a champion named Rudi and I always went and caressed him and talked to him ... Will never forget the shock, when I realized he had been "sacrificed" because of age. I didn't speak to my stepfather for a long time. No motivations could comfort me. Love, Margherita |
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2islander2 Member Ascendant
since 2008-03-12
Posts 6825by the sea |
very vivid and descriptive poem, very concerned about this beautiful animal...There is a french film in 2007 called Le renard et l'enfant which is very poetic and interesting about animals personnality...I hope you could see it... have a nice day yann |
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Alison
since 2008-01-27
Posts 9318Lumpy oatmeal makes me crazy! |
Lindsay, I know just what you mean. We see much of the same thing here with the wolves and the moose. Wolves were coming into people's yards and killing dogs on their dog runs and chains. It was like a wolf buffet. Thank you for your response - I do love animals, and I do understand the need to manage populations. Hugs to you, my friend. Alison |
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LindsayP Member Elite
since 2007-07-28
Posts 3410Australia, Victoria |
Margherita, Yann and Alison, your kind comments are always appreciated and I thank you for them. I do so enjoy all the wonderful friends that I have met here on PIP. Have a great day folks and take care. Lindsay |
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Earl Brinkman Senior Member
since 2010-03-03
Posts 1183Osaka, Japan |
This was very well written and a treat as always. |
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