Island Wildlife

The dappled sunlight paints our lawn

As squirrels go scurrying about

And buck and doe and baby fawn

Approach as overcome their doubt.

 

Raccoons were here at morning light

To see what hand-outs they’d receive

And bunny eyes all shining bright

Peer back at us from under leaves.

 

The peacock calls to let us know

That bobcat’s stalking birds again

While bearcat’s putting on a show

For baby chicks and mother hen.

 

The gator suns himself all day

Amid the lilies on the shore

While great fish come, their eggs to lay

Just steps away from our front door.

 

Cardinals and Purple Martin

Compete in colour with the Jays

Butterflies flit through the garden…

In paradise we’ll spend our days.

 

Your Struggle

I lay beside you in the night

And watch you, restlessly, not sleep

You struggle in your night time fight

As fears and doubts in your dreams creep.

 

I hear you gasp for breath and sigh

As if to live another’s pain

And all I can do is sit by

And wonder what goes through your brain.

 

Have you become your father now

And feeling every breath he takes?

Or are you wrestling with how

You’ll deal with everyone’s heartbreaks?

 

On your shoulders the load is borne

That would, a lesser person, crush

And though you may feel lost, forlorn

You keep it to yourself… a hush.

 

You always try to make things good

And worry more for others dear

While I’m trying to learn what would

Save you, the one, I hold so near.