The Muskrat & The Cotton mouth
~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~
Back in the days
When I was young
At heart
I was invited
For a rabbit hunt
Never did before
So I went.
Did some shooting
one or twice
To me was something new
Caught a Muskrat
In the corner of my eyes
Running into a drain
Bent down to confirm.
Saw him
Pointed my shotgun
Fired without aiming
Looked in the drain
I saw him trembling
In pain.
His eyes shut tight
Gritting his teeth
As I watched him die
That scene made me
Silently cry
Since that day 50 years ago
I have not hunt
I laid down my sword
To the words of a hymn
“Going to lay down
My sword & shield
Down by The river side.
Moved down south
New to the wetlands
In the wilderness
Where the poisonous
Snakes reside.
Exiting my house one day
I saw a cotton mouth
About 5 feet long
Biggest I’ve seen
By the curb side.
Ran her over
Felt my wheel thump
Like nothing
She slithered on
So I ran her over again.
Looked back
in my rear view mirror
She was still alive
Then I remember
“The Muskrat”
How he died
And I once again
Silently cried
For they had threaten
Me none.
ONE CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN THE LOVE OF GOD LIVES IN A HEART...THEY CANNOT DELIBERATELY HURT...WITHOUT REMORSE. THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS
So I ran over it too.....lmao
ON a more serious note, I grew up on a farm.
Every afternoon after school, I would go hunting for rabbits and squirrels, which we would eat. After I got home from the army I shot one squirrel, and cried literally, because I had taken a life.
I still love to shoot and am an expert marksman. But, I have never again shot anything breathing. not that I didn't want to... :-)
I revere animal life, but I am so afraid of snakes. I would not feel a shred of empathy if I ran over one. But that is my failing, for we need all God's creatures. Look up D.H. Lawrence, "The Snake." Your poem is as powerful. Eileen
Believe IT: My 2nd Like Daddy Welter Weight
170 Lb Boxer Taught Me How To Fight,Karate,
Took Me Hunting How Shoot All Kinds Guns-
In Lieu Of Birds Pheasants Were Cleaned Baked Cook
Oven--We Ate Them At His Mommmy' Supper Table!
TODAY: All Hormones In Animals, Chicken Etc
Will Do Make You Sick,Make You Go Blind,Go Crazy!
I Went Blind Both Eyes My M D I M Doctor Said
Examined Me: CHANGE YOUR DIET-I DID JUST THAT!
Opthamologist Doctor Did Not Even Know What
Cause Floaters/Blinded(IT Is Bacteria Floating In Your Eyes)
Asshole Just Billed Me Twice $284.00 As Billed
Medicare $1,000.00...
I Now **See Better Than Before IT Happened!
**Odds Are You All Will Die Go Blind Not From
Old Age But: FOOD (Bacteria) POISONING....
Your story is testimony to the fact that you never lost your heart in this cruel old world, and your lesson learned keeps you young at heart. A tale well told from one who will never grow old.
I'm with you on this. I just wrote a story about the same thing. That's why I always say, "If you kill it… Eat it." I'll make an exception for this for bugs in the house. But for bugs outside, I'd have them eating the bugs in the nasty stuff that they used to kill them served as sauce. When we kill bugs, we kill a whole ecosystem that feeds on them.
My high school friends used to catch muskrats in traps and skin them for their pelts for money. They probably didn't let the carcasses go to waste, feeding them to chickens or other animals. I don't think they threw them out in the trash.
Good for you. I am so very tired of people who like to kill saying it is for food. Most do it for sport after feeding the animals, and many people kill snakes with the expression "they are all bad to me." BS. Too many people like killing Good write.
I had that revealing sort of feeling long ago on a Christmas morning I was outside in the snow looking for something to shoot with my brand new Daisy BB Gun. Spotted a vivid redbird on the lawn digging in the snow for something to eat. I raised my BB gun and fired. Hit the bird and it knee;led over. I was so elated and ran to where the bird was dying, saw the red on its blood upon the snow and something inside of me died. I never fired another gun, BB or otherwise, toward something like you said, thst didn't threaten me.
A book of nature inspired poems and essays, written from the heart and soul of a life-long nature, animal, and wilderness lover, and dedicated to today’s children - Earth's only hope for a better tomorrow.
This book won 'The Poetry Category'
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Kathy
ON a more serious note, I grew up on a farm.
Every afternoon after school, I would go hunting for rabbits and squirrels, which we would eat. After I got home from the army I shot one squirrel, and cried literally, because I had taken a life.
I still love to shoot and am an expert marksman. But, I have never again shot anything breathing. not that I didn't want to... :-)
Walt
With gratitude and admiration,
Carol Phelan Aebby
Believe IT: My 2nd Like Daddy Welter Weight
170 Lb Boxer Taught Me How To Fight,Karate,
Took Me Hunting How Shoot All Kinds Guns-
In Lieu Of Birds Pheasants Were Cleaned Baked Cook
Oven--We Ate Them At His Mommmy' Supper Table!
TODAY: All Hormones In Animals, Chicken Etc
Will Do Make You Sick,Make You Go Blind,Go Crazy!
I Went Blind Both Eyes My M D I M Doctor Said
Examined Me: CHANGE YOUR DIET-I DID JUST THAT!
Opthamologist Doctor Did Not Even Know What
Cause Floaters/Blinded(IT Is Bacteria Floating In Your Eyes)
Asshole Just Billed Me Twice $284.00 As Billed
Medicare $1,000.00...
I Now **See Better Than Before IT Happened!
**Odds Are You All Will Die Go Blind Not From
Old Age But: FOOD (Bacteria) POISONING....
TRASK...
Love ya!
Jane
My high school friends used to catch muskrats in traps and skin them for their pelts for money. They probably didn't let the carcasses go to waste, feeding them to chickens or other animals. I don't think they threw them out in the trash.
Ron
Michael D.