putting animals at ease
Three months of talking to our animal neighbors
has changed the way I am in the woods –
no more tiptoeing and blending in
I salute them each with a hearty hello.
Today after spying the mountain chickadee nest
and stopping to sit and watch
the babies poking their little striped noggins
right out of the aspen’s trunk,
the mother came close to
assess my intentions.
Hello, mountain chickadee!
I called and smiled
I’m resting here for a moment
and I’m taking out my binoculars
to get a better look at your handsome children,
if that’s okay.
You can keep feeding them, though.
You’re all safe.
Seemingly satisfied,
she cocked her head,
gave a little shake,
then flew off to keep at
the busy job of feeding her family.
Talking is a much better way
of setting at ease then freezing,
I’ve found.
Even if they don’t understand my words,
my tone and energy give them much more to go on
in determining friend or foe.
It’s like the skateboarders
down in the library parking garage
all by themselves after dark.
When I steeled myself
and got out of the car
they called a cheerful
Hello. How’s it going? –
all that was needed
to put me at ease.
