Courage Was Not Required
Squirrel didn’t stop to think
Wind tore siding from snug house, Drove branches deep into soaked lawn, Rattled windows until one yielded Tumbling plummet to concrete doom.
Crickets wouldn’t sing through tempest Had they been here to witness devastating Disappointment of windy night with no snow To blanket useless crop of sticky gum balls.
Squirrels wove sticks and leaves into nests Snug, strong, sturdy against most storms — But this storm wreaked havoc with sturdy, Reminded all of its unleashed potential.
The purpled dawn was mute revelation Of wary peace exhausted from battling Unreasonable force and its seasonable Destruction of safe, secure, and snug.
Before purple warmed to golden glow, Squirrels darted for leaves and twigs To repair ruined, respond to damage With genius, unthinking instinct.
When we first moved to this Connecticut home, I marveled at the wildlife.
Suburban development New Jersey was rich in rodents, scant in animals that daily astound us here. We are treated to bobcat, coyote, wild turkeys, pheasant, red-tailed hawks, the occasional bald eagle.
Last night’s wind was the window-rattling, threat shrieking, howling promise of March, entering like a lion.
This past fall, we watched busy squirrels build a nest in our copper beech tree. Like Peter Falk and Alan Arkin in-laws running serpentine to evade bullets, the squirrels worked dead leaves, twigs, flower plumes into their home high in the branches of an ancient tree.
Early March is a tricky season.
We’ve had more snow this month than we have all winter. The days have bleared into a siege of dour, cold, bitter gray.
Last night changed all that. Winds howled, the waxing moon beamed through scudding clouds, branches ricocheted off our siding.
The squirrel’s nest took a direct hit.
Heartbreaking clumps of once-warm nest littered the ground.
Squirrels darted up and down the tree, mouths full of leaves, twigs, the occasional acorn.
Nest secured, they haven’t been out all day.
Today, I marvel at how easily the squirrels did what had to be done, ignoring the promise of more storms and high winds.
Not courage, not time-boxed, checklist studded plan.
Just doing what had to be done.
No courage required.
Just the seeing what needs to be done and doing it.
