Sometimes an act of kindness isn't.


The Raccoon

Hovering near your mother
Lying dead beside the road . . .
Your savior came with a basket
To carry you home, her compassion
Lasting only as long as it took
To put you in a three-by-five cage.

I cared for you as best I could, but
Your fear was feral, ferocious and
You grew into your righteous rage.
For three long years I was the one
Who made you live with your pain,
And neither of us ever forgave her.

Nor have I ever forgiven myself
For denying you the simple blessing
Of dying as your kind is born to.
Your fierce heart broke against its cage
And I buried you in the pasture, gave you
The peace of ground you should have known.

And each Spring you give me sunflowers.




Poetry by countryfog
Read 467 times
Written on 2011-01-11 at 16:28

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Lawrence Beck The PoetBay support member heart!
Good intentions don't necessarily provide good results, but what are you going to do? Around here, one never sees a single dead raccoon at the side of the road. One always sees two or more. They seem to be very close to each other.
2011-01-16


Doreen Cavazza
Oh, this brought tears to my eyes. It's such a sad and beautiful write. I love this.
2011-01-12


Nancy Sikora
This one is so sad and truthful, it touches me deeply. This is something we see very often in the veterinary profession; people don't understand they're doing wild things a disservice by keeping them "safely caged."
2011-01-12


shells
Stark and full of truth and honesty, what more can I say? Except your final line gives respect and rememberance.
2011-01-11


josephus The PoetBay support member heart!
What a passionate writing. You captured the fierce need for all of us to be merely, simply and just who we are.

People sometimes protect others from their rightful destiny because that destiny is seen as inappropriate in their eyes. They believe that life prolonged even at the cost of dignity and freedom life is right. Life has no value unless it is on the path that fate has chosen for us not the path that someone else in authority feels we would benefit from.

Thanks for this graphic and powerful recounting in your unique, stark and vivid style.

Joe
2011-01-11