A Chipmunk Poem by Ravi Kopra

I filled the glass walled metal box
hanging on a wrought iron pole
pushed down near my front porch
with a smorgasbord of seeds for
sparrows, doves, gold breasted
flat beaks, jays...

A little boy chipmunk who lives under
a big stone at the gate of
my Briar Ridge Estate found
the boxed meals delicious and
would often jump on the box to feed
many times acrobatically with its
tail up in the air and its head
bent down to the pouts munching
peanuts, sunflower and a myriad
of plants' seeds.

One day it wanted to feast on
the cheese I put on the mouse
traps to catch the wild mice.
The spring flipped, hit its head
and it lay squeaking painfully.

The poor little thing, eyes closed
would not accept food and water
I placed in a little box with it.
A day passed by. Afraid it would die
I took it to the pets care hospital
where a young lady gave it steroid
drops, warmed it up in a bundle

and introduced it to the fellow
chipmunks hurt by wild accidents.
It thrived and would soon be set free
in the hospital garden near the
chest-nut trees where chipmunks and
squirrels together party happily...

The young lady, its nurse, sends me
its photos playing with a little girl
chipmunk hurt by a falling tree
in the neighbour's backyard recently.

I wish them romantic dates
and many little cute ones when
they are ready to mate and
have fun...