Hedgehog
A hedgehog left its safe daylight abode.
Needing to traverse a care less road
That flowed its hard black strength
An unforgiving length across an ancient track,
Which dated back to time before
A landscape scored with sudden light
Would frighten soft small squelchy things
With recent risks our swiftness brings.
This night,
Its last and fast as could go pace
Had proved too slow for it to win the race,
Or know, its nightly jaunts
To seek old haunts; were past.
© James Rainsford 2011
Note to readers: Posted to open night at dVerse Poets on 2nd August. Your feedback is very welcome. Please click on the comments tab below to leave your views. I'll try to respond to all who visit. Thanks and kind regards to all at DVerse Poets, particularly to hedgewitch for hosting this week's event. James.
how sad...i hate to see animals on the road or on its side...our nature center is rehabbinga hedgehog as well...so cute, just watch when they sneeze...
ReplyDeletePowerful, elegiac verse, filled with sympathy for a poor creature outstripped by man's ambition.
ReplyDeleteDavid
What's even worse is when some idiot runs them over just because. All because man wants a little more room their domain is withering away, nicely done!
ReplyDeleteOh we have so much road kill around here. But this little guy is cute! Fun poem!
ReplyDeleteOh James! So sad :( I hope he enjoyed his last trek about, if I were to come upon him at the road side, he would have my tears as a send-off. (that's just the type of sappy soul I am)
ReplyDeleteI just saw this happen a few days ago. This big fat groundhog was trying to hurry across a busy road and nobody seemed to even see him but me. But he made it, somehow.
ReplyDeletei see these often in the long open road... a pity for them to be victims to our modern life...
ReplyDeleteYou know, James, the quite ironic thing is that I thought to myself "Self, I haven't checked the Sanctum of Sanity in a while." I'm glad a I did, because my and my old roomates were pondering over "Old Haunts" today. I love random occurrence. Poignant, and "pointy" if I may, good sir.
ReplyDelete-Pounds
I wish more of us could spare some thought and pity for the creatures our convenience discounts and destroys. A moving piece, without being at all maudlin. My pleasure, as always, to read your work.
ReplyDeleteWe have hadgehogs a plenty here and they are the funniest creatures - so characterful and deserving of your perfectly pitched piece.
ReplyDeleteCharming subject written with aplomb
I love your new blog look James! I also love this cleverly written piece full of tight word rhymes about the most precious of little creatures. I was NOT happy to read about his demise...
ReplyDeleteSo light and enjoyable piece. Love the pictures your words have made.
ReplyDeleteWhat a switch up from light to gone! You led me to sense the beauty of the creature then ripped it away as road kill. You did all of this is a relatively brief piece. Fab!
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, my recent block was released after spotting a dead armadillo on a bridge abutment. Some roadkill gets memorialized in poetry, at least for the two of us.
Great write
Beth
i am learning to understand poetry. i saw a wish to be fast and swift.
ReplyDeleteThe craft demonstrated here is so subtle that it could almost be lost in the story. Almost. Just a brilliant all around piece, James. I learn something new (that I may never be able to do) every time I visit your Sanctum.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful write James. One can feel for the hedgehog and the under layer of his fated journey that is open to each of us should we choose to leave for a jaunt. Beautifully done! ~ Rose
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