Little Cottontail
Little Cottontail …
Little cottontail, for so long you were gone,
I missed watching you hop around the hill,
Among sagebrush, peeking from behind rocks,
Your velvety ears twitching, alert to sounds,
Some pleasant, some a warning to hide.
You enhance my little mountain with your cuteness,
Your soft little body, your gentle soul,
You grace my vision with your appearance,
Your antics and your search for something
To nibble on, I set out a treat for you.
A delicious salad of lettuce, spinach,
Shredded carrots and sunflower seeds,
Your eyesight is keen, your button nose twitches,
Cautiously you hop down towards the lawn,
Just there at the edge you eat your supper.
Luna is almost full tonight, she comes out early,
Her silvery light shines upon your table,
And illuminates your fluffy white pom-pom tail,
I sit back on my patio to watch you,
With each bite you look up to say thanks.
Luna turns to gold and darkness grows,
I feel a chill from night air and go inside,
Peeking out the window I see you,
Your supper gone, your tummy full,
A pleasant visit, little cottontail, sweet dreams.
~~~~
Author’s Note
Four years ago a fire destroyed most of the sagebrush, other flora and wild grasses on the hill
behind my home. All the little critters left and my pleasant times of watching them was also gone.
The following year the grasses and squirrels came back, a year later the jack rabbits slowly
started coming back. It was not until this spring, the fourth year, that I finally saw a little
cottontail and my heart filled with joy. I fixed a salad and sat it out for the cute little rabbit. It
took very little time for the cottontail to hop down and eat his supper. I know it will not be long
now before the hill is populated again with more cottontails.
© 2017 Phyllis Doyle Burns
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am currently an author on HubPages.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
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They are cute, and fire has such a horrendous effect on wildlife. In Australia they are part of a natural process of the seed germination of our native trees and plants, and wildlife know instinctively times to vanish for safety. Glad your little fury friend is back. Take care Phyllis.
Thank you, Tony. I am happy the cottontail is back. The fire was good to clear out old growth, but I sure missed the critters. Take care.
Critters and fire never mix, but in the end it is the critters that win the heart of us all. Enjoyed Phyllis
So true, Kurt. Thanks for reading. I am glad you enjoyed.
Happy you got the cottontail back. Fires suck. All they due is create devastation. Animals are so smart in knowing whwn to leave. Consider yourself lucky that they all are coming back. Nice piece Phyllis.
Thank you so much, Paul.