Evidence Of Raccoon Poem by moon batchelder

i saw a raccoon's paw prints
in the else-wise virgin snow.
and followed him from hours behind
wherever he did go.

across the crystal carpet
woven just the night before,
and draped around the mountain side
by faeries from the north.

across the steel grey shadows
'neath the mistle-toe and pine.
i followed him and watched his movements,
evidenced in rime.

he wandered out of this ravine
and then he wandered back,
then bounded down the road in glee;
i recognized the tracks.

then probably to rest he sauntered
to a near-by brook,
and washed his hands; i've read they do that
somewhere in a book.

a friend came by to join him
in nocturnal walk-abouts.
they romped and frolicked round the lawn,
their footprints left no doubt.

i spied on their meanderings
a mile or so until,
the paw prints of a dog ran by
and chased them up the hill.

i watched them vanish,
then i headed home without a word.
alone, save for the cat that stalked
the foot prints of a bird.