Squirrels at My Window

By John I. Blair

Squirrels at my window
Wrap around the feeders,
Picking out the sunflower seeds
As if born for that.

And perhaps they were:
I’ve been feeding squirrels here
For thirty years.

I wonder what effect I’ve had
On squirrel society in my vicinity.

Squirrels evolved across millennia
To forage forests, scavenge shrubs,
But in a single generation
Learned these plastic tubes
Are restaurants, cafes –

Much as the local bobs
Have learned to like
The taste of puppies, cats,
So conveniently corralled
Behind suburban fence,

An unintended lesson
Made all the more effective
Since the student motivation
Mates hunger with convenience.

©2016 John I. Blair