20 Ways of Looking at a Squirrel

1

Chirping, grinding sounds in the trees:

Could be birds, but it’s not.

Squirrels chew walnuts in the branches.

2

Bombers above:

Watch your head!

Squirrels with acorns.

3

Playing tag,

Racing around the tree after a friend,

Then switching directions.

What happens if they catch each other?

4

So cute, so playful, so friendly.

Stay away, they could have rabies!

Or so Mom told me when I tried to catch them.

5

A squirrel digging acorns out of the mulch,

Completely engrossed in his task.

Sneak up quietly…

STOMP an inch behind it!

Give the squirrel a heart attack,

It flees up the tree.

6

Just another passerby on campus,

Late to class, or to a meeting,

Racing down the sidewalk with a flick of the tail.

7

Breaking in through windows,

Making homes in attics,

Robbers or pests?

8

If a squirrel is watching you from a tree,

Try approaching it.

But if it stands its ground and challenges you,

Run.

It might jump on you.

9

Flat on the road.

Fur still waving with the passing of each car.

Roadkill squirrel.

10

Red in Fulton,

Gray in St. Louis,

White in Arkansas,

Black in Canada.

Multicolored squirrels.

11

Bad reputation.

Rats with furry tails.

But rats aren’t so bad!

12

My brother says his friends trap squirrels,

And dye their tails bright colors.

If you see a blue squirrel,

Or a red one,

It’s their fault.

13

Rustling in the bushes.

Is it a stray cat?

A person hiding, waiting to spring out?

No, probably a squirrel.

14

My high school religion teacher

Once spent half an hour

Disturbing the class with stories

Of how he caught squirrels in a sack,

Beat them on a rock,

And ate them for dinner.

15

Squirrel eating acorn:

A common sight.

Often ignored.

Does that make it unworthy of notice?

16

Squirrel-proof bird feeders:

Why?

What’s wrong with feeding squirrels?

They have to eat too.

It must be elitist bird-watchers.

17

What lessons do squirrels teach?

Always hurry.

Save your food for later.

Don’t let strangers into your territory.

Play as much as possible.

18

If five squirrels each bury twelve acorns,

Three bury five walnuts,

And one buries a small radish,

How many seeds will be forgotten through the cold,

Grow into trees in the spring,

And be cut down when the lawn is mowed in the summer?

19

Bouncing on a trampoline,

Balancing on a tightrope,

Squirrel on a power line in the wind.

20

Memories of sticking my fingers in the cage at the Children’s Zoo

Waiting to be licked

By the black, orange, and white South American squirrel.