January 7, 2022

“And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.” (Genesis 1:30)

Because its Friday and for some whimsy, I’m giving you this sonnet (14 lines, iambic pentameter) I wrote about a beaver that lives in a lodge at our pond. You’ll be forgiven for not reading it, as I hope you will forgive me for not giving you a real ADD today!

BEAVER

Brown, stout, pelted Castor Canadensis

Honest family man with one life-long wife

Against you there are no sure defenses

Four chisel-shaped incisors for your knife

Aspen, birch, oak, dogwood, willow, alder

Fall gnawed, gored, mulched, torn, perched upon your lodge

The pond’s arboreal ring grows balder

While coyotes, foxes, otters, owls you dodge

An ecosystem engineer by night

No extant animal does more to mold

Environments befitting his delight

Busy, eager, crepuscular and bold

Elusive, loathe to enter into view

In harmony we seek to live with you

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

“O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (For Joy in God’s Creation – BCP p. 814)