Whose Place is it Anyways?

A wren wakes me up at five with her strident call

I see she has made a messy nest in my shed

and she is feeding nestlings in my market basket

I guess I could use a bag instead-

Whose place is it anyways? 

 

The monarchs have found the milkweed on the edge of the drive

I need to mow along there but

I see her perfect jewel box eggs on the leaves

I love to see butterflies dancing over the field

I guess I won’t mow there this summer

Whose place is it anyways?

 

I pull back the tarp to add to the winter’s woodpile

And find the chipmunks’ careful hoard

Imagine the labor of finding all these acorns?

I guess I can start a new woodpile nearby

Whose place is it anyways?

 

The ground hog has made a hole under the garden fence

She eats all the green beans, kale and brocholi in one night

I block up the hole and follow her trail to the burrow

I see her young creep out to eat clover

I guess they can keep the clover patch

Whose place is it anyways?

 

A deer has left her spotty fawn under my elderberry bush

I need to fix the hole in the fence there but

I am not sure how they both got in

The foal looks at me with huge watchful eyes

I guess I can put off the fencing for a while

Whose place is this anyways?

 

I am walking the dog down our woods road

She finds a pile of coyote poop 

I know my neighbors would be out here with a shotgun but

We walk here by day but leave it to them at night 

Whose place is it anyways?

 

The registry at the courthouse 

has a walls full of files of deeds

One names our farm and my name is listed there but

Whose place is it anyways?

 

Bette Low 2020