A Gift in the Wild

Sara's Poetry

This happened in early morning while on a walk through the woods with my dog. It was a path I had walked many times and remembered with fondness. My first trip through here had been on my first trip to Kansas before I married, we were visiting his folks and ventured down this path in the snow with him leading with a flashlight and dogs running along with us. The night was very cold and we were dressed warmly. It was an exciting time and several years later we were living in those trailers that bordered on his folk's property (the big house and farm where his Mama was born). Everything was new to me having lived in Alabama all my life. It was a very lonely place with much time for solitude and dreaming. Writing poetry and painting pictures had always been a part of me, so with all these new adventures my writing and artwork went into acceleration. This was an actual event and I wrote it in poetic form.

A GIFT IN THE WILD

In space and time a gift divine,

To hold a creature of the wild

was a fortune of mine.

In a quiet, little used path through the trees,

walked the dog and I.

Fighting through cobwebs and low-hanging branches,

across my feet wings did fly.

I followed the creature as it hopped around,

and stopping under a broken limb,

turned upon me those gorgeous eyes so round.

I was lost in the beauty of this little bird,

for a tiny 'eared' screech owl I had never seen,

but many times during the night, her call I had heard.

She seemed not a bit afraid of me,

and blinked those clear, golden eyes, with long lashes,

looking at me, beseechingly.

I approached with care, speaking softly.

I saw she was in trouble and I reached out

touching the soft tip of her wing,

A communication, reverent, devout.

I took off my shirt and gently

wrapped it around her.

I held her close to me.

I knew she would never again

in the dark forest and

still of the night, sing.

This little screech owl, so beautiful to me

was taking her last few breaths of life

and God had allowed me a brief reverie,

to hold one of His creatures to my breast,

and bid a final farewell to this wilderness tenant,

as our souls touched briefly in this chance quest.

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God bless and have a great day!!