Today
As I sit
Under the locust tree
In the heat and humidity
With the soothing hum
Of the cicadas
In my ears
I recall the summer nights
Sitting out on the lawn
At my grandfather's farm
Suddenly
A bobcat's cry
Would pierce
The still night air
Unless you've heard it
It is not easy
To appreciate
The blood curdling sound
That came
From the forest
Across the nearby creek
If a child
Were shrieking in agony
While being slowly
Tortured to death
Would they cry like this
Maybe - I don't really know
But there was one thing for sure
I certainly was never going
To tramp the bush at night
For fear one of those cats
Would drop down on me.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
They were still around my neighborhood when I was a kid too. Raccoons would also make some terrifying noises