Contemplating Caring For A Porcupine Poem by Ruth Sabath Rosenthal

Putting a roof over its head, easily done.
Nurturing, quite another story.
Bathing — only with a long hose.
As for mealtime, the prickly thing

jumping up and down impatient,
what protection will repel the prick
of quill? And, if the antsy rascal
turns combative, how to persevere

unscathed? What if the critter
should become contrite, savor
the moment, or not? After feeding
the robust rodent, if it yelps for more,

but is on a diet, what will distract?
A game of Hide and Seek might,
though, if the quill ball should turn up
missing, how to know if it fares well,

and what angst to bear if the poor thing
is found to have been the dinner
of some loathsome predator — when
all the porcupine wanted was more gruel,
and all I ever wanted was to care for it?