Ground squirrels and chipmunks abound,
Conversing by a clicking sound.
Their little eyes and my eyes meet
They ask me for something to eat.
They reach and grab a seed from me,
and eat it so adorably!
They grab some more and stuff their cheeks
with surplus for the coming weeks.
With cheeks like pouches that stretch wide,
They dash with their seed stash, to hide,
to store in holes for the winter,
A skillful stretcher and sprinter,
These animated gymnastic gems...
stand tall and pull Lupine stems.



A wild deer approaches near,
Lets me pet her from head to rear!
By hand, I share the rinds of fruit
She seems to have a mind, astute
She knows exactly whom to trust
Our daily visits are a must.
A porcupine climbing a tree,
stops to get acquainted with me.
And even though he has sharp quills,
It’s 'gentleness' that he instills.
Then I see birds that fly with flair
Hummingbirds suspended in air!
They glide with ease from tree to tree
It’s really quite a sight to see.

The cutest cottontail, so shy,
freezes in fear and then darts by.
The fastest, fluffy, furry ball;
Softest and sweetest friend of all.
Running around my tent-made house;
A cross between rabbit and mouse!
The tent was set right near some holes...
belonging to a pair of voles.
They run around, helter-skelter,
Then quickly run back to shelter.

In the woods we live together,
Peaceful friends of fur and feather,
Sharing life harmoniously,
My forest friends speak through me:
“Save our home and treat us with care,
Earth is the planet we all share!”
A JOY, on which my soul depends,
is sharing the forest with these FRIENDS.

By M. Butterflies Katz, Gentle World. From her website http://www.veganpoet.com.