Edge of Town

In evening's cool she walked past sunset golding the cows in their meadow, walked past rose grown out of its fencing,

walked past the old brick schoolhouse with new tin roof and flowerbeds and family inside,

walked past the great old fallen oak,

walked to the bridge over the little stream and gazed into the moving water below.

She turned to go and saw, a little way beyond the bridge,

a small crushed being.

She moved to honor it and take it off the pavement:

a pond turtle, run over as it attempted to cross the road,

probably on its way to lay eggs in the creek bank.

She picked the body up by a foot and set it in the tall grass away from the road,

so those coming to scavenge the body would not also be run over.

Walking home in the deepening dusk she took her time watching fireflies blinking over the pastures and fields

and bats zooming overhead in their mosquito-catching air dance....

and as she stood still in wonder, she heard a rustling in the tall grass:

a family of skunks emerged all in a striped line, waddling in their rolling gait across the road and into the bushes at woods' edge.

She gave them time to go where they were going - not caring to surprise them.

Just beyond the place where the skunks entered the woods,

she saw another small body, newly killed:

a nice fat squirrel.

Picking it up by the tail, blessing it, she tossed it into the woods,

knowing some creature would be delighted for the night's free supper.

Thank you turtle, she said; and thank you squirrel - for giving your lives to feed others.

May you attain your highest possible potential rebirth.