Small Victory

** #1504140 Not An Image **

Whiskers twitching, eyes intense, all her senses linked.
Silent as a shadow, she’s guided by instinct
as she seeks out her next meal, tasting every breath.
She moves then darts then pauses, alert for threats of death.

There, within the tangled grass, lies a small acorn.
She eyes it very cautiously, feeling a bit torn
about the open area and how she’d be exposed.
Her need drives her forward; her intuition is opposed.

A shadow darkens sunlight.  She freezes in her place.
She’s lucky, it’s a windblown leaf drifting above her space.
She quickly grabs the morsel and pulls it out of sight.
She’ll fill her pouches promptly.  She will eat tonight.

An outlined form, a scent, a sound, guide her toward her nest
as she threads her way toward safety and a place to rest.
Tightly coiled, dark eyes track her scampering retreat.
Through a lipless mouth its tongue revels in the heat.

A blur of movement as it strikes, the snake moves like an arrow
but something has forewarned the mouse and the miss is narrow.
The need for stealth is past and her reaction quite dramatic
as adrenaline kicks in and her response is automatic.

In a burrow ‘neath the garden shed, she’s greeted by a twitter.
She moves and curls protectively around her tiny litter.
It’s a drama most overlook which can be seen in her arrival
as she celebrates one small victory in the simple act of survival.


Note: Inspired by the view from my back porch.  There's so much that we overlook...
Image just seemed to fit

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