Suburban Wildlife Encounters

Suburban Wildlife Encounters

38 lines

When I lived in suburban Northern Virginia
In a typical suburban street
I would from time to time
Encounter wildlife.

There were deer in the neighborhood
Living in the gully stream bed
Along with bats, birds,
Coyotes, feral cats, foxes, rabbits,
racoons, opossums, snakes and squirrels.

One morning I saw a strange dog
Looking at me
Then I realized that it was a coyote
Out no doubt for his breakfast.

We stared at each other
Then he bounded off
I never saw him again.

We saw the rabbits
Every night
During the summer season,

They loved to sneak
Into our backyard garden
For breakfast.

The sterlings and swallows
Were daily visitors
Sitting on our front door step

We tried everything
To get rid of them
Even putting out beanie babies
And fake owls from Walmart,
That scared them off
For a few days.

Finally a handyman sealed
Off the porch
And they went elsewhere.

When we lived in Barbados
We had a band of monkeys
Living in the gully behind the house

They waited until we left
In the morning
Then raided our garden for breakfast.