Nesting

There’s a faded blue tarp
On an old pile of wood 
For a fireplace no longer used. 
Though my hearing’s not sharp, 
I thought maybe I could 
Hear a strange sound that got me confused.

So I opened the door,
Seeing if I could find
If a creature was making that scritch 
And before I looked more,
There to pay me no mind,
Was a squirrel, his jaws all a’twitch.

He was ripping at holes 
In the tarp that he’d made
And from out of his mouth dangled blue.
Seemed that one of his goals,
If attention was paid,
Was a nest of that very same hue.

Now I’m searching the trees,
Gazing up through the leaves,
Trying hard to discover that nest.
So if anyone sees
Something that he perceives
As bizarre, he can let his mind rest.

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Maurice Rigoler

Date: 8/3/2025 8:25:00 PM

A delightful write. / Maurice

Terry Flood

Date: 8/3/2025 5:04:00 PM

Love it Ilene. Our last German Shepherd ( my avatar) took so much brushing that we were never sure whether to discard the dog or the hair. Ultimately, I had a brain wave… we poked balls of her fur into our long hedge and onto the bird table… at nesting time, we had sparrows and squirrels with long beards. I relate this because, I’ve lost too many tarps to the nasty little blighters that I might not keep my cool. Another fun look at true life: something you seem to do with uncanny ease ;-)

Ilene Bauer
Date: 8/3/2025 5:14:00 PM

Thanks for that lovely comment, Terry! I love the image of “sparrows and squirrels with long beards” - hilarious!