Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Road Craft

The chipmunk lay spread eagle,
pressed like a flower in a book.
His timing was poor, or
he was focused on his destination
more than the route to get there.
A procession of traffic
passed over and over,
by days end it was apparent
there were more artisans than mourners.

22 comments:

Kai said...

"The chipmunk lay spread eagle,
pressed like a flower in a book."

is my favorite part.

:-]

Anonymous said...

Well done...a lesson for us all.

Anonymous said...

lol

enjoyed that, thanks.

MB said...

This is a sight all too common in my neighborhood. Too many dang squirrels!!

Margie said...

Poor little guy!
The other morning on my way to work, I almost hit a squirrel!
I was glad I didn't!
Good poem Pat!

Margie

Anonymous said...

Yikes, all those dead animals that lie on ehe roadside, especially the babies that leave for new homes and never make it: I mourn for all the snakes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, porcupines and deer that I have seen this year alone. Oh, where will we be when all the animals are gone???

Borut said...

More artists than mourners. A powerful ending. Leaves a strange feeling...

polona said...

poor rodent!
for some reason reading this one brings a hanna/barbera cartoon to my mind :)
too good!

jel said...

road pizza , what a subject, for Christmas! :P

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

You can even make something like this interesting! :)

Anonymous said...

I have seen this happening. Only difference wasit was a cat.

Are we really so insensitive?

I like the way you have depicted it.

sage said...

great images and I love that last line, I've never considered myself an artisan!

tammy said...

some days I feel like that chipmunk . . . though most days I'm trying to find the art in the pavement. enjoyed this.

C... said...

Drive by design.

Cathy said...

Merry Christmas, Pat!

Anonymous said...

Roadkill art - lovely!

Natalia L. Rudychev said...

Deep..
You've done such a great job expressing what I feel passing every dead creature on the roadside.

(Thank you for the wonderful comment on my Quill & Parchment publication)

Seasonal Greetings!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Tears for a flap jack served at the road kill cafe. Tears for the chef. I loved the comment about doing the art of pavement - I can identify with that.

Tongue in Cheek Antiques said...

oh! Poor lil' fella,
his life spread out like that!
(in France squirrels are few, their rare viewing makes them loved!)

Pat Paulk said...

Kai, I like that line too. Of course the chipmunk wasn't to fond of it...

Thanks Vaughn!! Look both ways when crossing a busy highway??

Sigmund Fraud, thanks!!

Inconsequential, thank you very much!!

MB, more squirrels here too. Makes crows and vultures and ants pretty happy though.

Margie, I avoid them when I can too. Thanks you!!

Joyce, I agree with everything except the snakes!! They can be gone!!

Strange feelings aren't bad. thanks Borut!!

Polona, I can see that. Except here the rodent doesn't get up with stars floating around its head and move on to the next calamity. Thanks!!

Road pizza??? No thanks!! Don't like pizza anyway, road or oven baked. Thanks Janice!!

An interesting mess?? Thanks Andrew!!

Gautami, maybe the correct word is de-sensitized. Scary, huh?

Sage, I guess I'm both. don't try to be a craftsman, but sometimes it's just plain unavoidable.

Tammy, I've been feeling a little run over myself lately, too. Thanks!!

C, it's definitely by some kind of design!!

Cathy, Merry Christmas back at ya!!

Julia, thank you!! though it really wasn't too lovely.

Natalia, glad to see ya back. Thank you for producing such wonderful art!! Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!

Russell, being a chef I would think you would. Bet you don't show roadkill on any of your cooking shows. Thank you Sir!!

Corey, they're so plentiful here they get squashed all the time. Would you like some for Christmas??

Anonymous said...

I like this. Well-crafted! (That's not a pun.) I feel so sad when I see dead animals on the road.

Anonymous said...

Yikes!
well crafted. (sorry):)

no chipmunks here. mostly cats & dogs, pretty messy in the hot weather.