What's Next? Poem by Theresa Ann Moore

The fields were green and filled
with plush, thriving vegetation
Multitudes of grasses and flowers
grew freely…generation after generation

Animals lived by nature's rules
There was plenty of water and food
Then along came two-legged creatures
who were adventurous, selfish and rude

They wore garments to ward off the cold...
These progressive animals had very little fur
They altered the view…changing the landscape
They built houses with logs from conifers

What to make of the unusual beings...
The resident animals weren't exactly sure
They hoped their neighbors would be cordial…
Day by day the trespassers rearranged the future

As trees toppled with the grinding bite of the saw
Owls looked for other trees... seeking a new domain
Clearings were naked... where once there was shade
The riches of nature weakened under the strain

Within a short span of time... relatively speaking
Many animals evacuated…others were trapped
Meadows are gone…shopping centers dominate
A few of the original inhabitants learned to adapt

Some lumbering raccoons now find shelter in attics...
The bandits sneak out at night… raiding garbage cans
Rabbits eat forbidden morsels from planted gardens
Squirrels now reach for treats offered by human hands

9/10/09