MOUSE

This morning while out raking dead leaves and grass from the lawn in the warm springtime sun, I came across a discarded Little Debbie snack cake box.

Now a man bent upon cleaning up, and not blessed with curiosity would have raked it into the refuse pile and gone about his tasks. Not me. I have a wandering mind that welcomes interruptions, and knows that curiosity didn't really kill the cat, he just died happy with the knowledge he gleaned.

I picked up the box, partly faded and a little battered from the weight of the snow that had held it in place in the corner of the rose bush for the last few months.

Inside the torn open end, I spied a little nest made of bits of cotton, shredded newspaper, and fallen rose petals. There were little pink bits of baby bodies squirming among the cotton batten and paper. I thought how like heaven it is to be in a cozy home surrounded by loved ones.

I reached through the spokes of a steel wagon wheel and placed the box deeper under the rose bushes, hoping to find them a better haven from prowling cats and nosy neighbor children.

Mama Mouse, keep your children safe.

207 Words

Published by http://www.dogzplot.com/ 3 April 2008