David Chadwick

A Poem for November

 

Fledgling

 

The cat brought it in for her kitten

Dropped it on the lawn and stood back

But the kitten didn’t know what he was supposed to do

With no understanding of how nature works

He just sat down and watched

 

So it was saved

For a while

Taken inside

Held close

That speckled breast

Those glinting eyes

The yellow beak that opened wide

Expectant – you will feed me

With no understanding of how nature works

I open wide – you will feed me

 

We tried

Opened wide

We poked in baby food

Stroked the throat

To make it swallow

But it was no good

In the night, it died

With no understanding of how nature works