I scratch a living day and night
In the mud and dirt
Keeping always an eye open
For any eagle alert
With extended family around
We bring up quite a brood
The challenge is never far away
Where will we find enough food
In the summer it's hot and dry
Scarcely anywhere to hide
We try to stay, below the ground
But it's hot no matter what we try
Winter brings the cold and wet
With winds you can't believe
Again we have to make the best
Of what's available for our needs
We're very well adapted really
For all the nature can throw
What makes it hard is man and beast
Who like to prune and mow
Please come find out more about
Is prairie dogs and our lives
You'll realise just how amazing we are
And perhaps you'll help us survive
Xxxxxxxx
This poem was written as part of the real toads ecoregions challenge prompt about prairies. I've visited many Savannahs but no prairies, but a little research tells me they're the same except with seasonal variations. I then visited the San Diego zoo website and found out about the flora and fauna of prairies; from whence toys poem came. Oh and there was a fair level of influence from my love of the little house on the prairie books.
Yes, a struggle for survival. My family came from the prairies, then moved west to more moderate climates. I remember them talking about the prairie dogs. And someone once joked that the prairies are so flat, that if your dog ran away, you could still see him running three days later!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and I both so loved Little House on the Prairie, books and movies.
I love this, Emma. We have little critters we call gophers, which are actually ground squirrels, and I worry about the ones who live in fields that will be cultivated and mown, as well as the ones who live down the street at the BMX track, although the latter seem to be able to avoid boys on bikes quite adroitly.
ReplyDeleteAnd the San Diego Zoo website is wonderful, isn't it? I'm not big on zoos but I love that one, dedicated to saving as many endangered species as it can.
K
Where I grew up, prairie dogs were everywhere! I miss them.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job of capturing the plains in a snap shot of all seasons, the rough and the forgiving. Great write out!
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that man and beast can prune and mow the prairie lands ~ Thanks for sharing ~
ReplyDeleteI live in the Sonora Desert and my property houses loads of similar rodents. They entertain me greatly, particularly when the babies first emerge from their burrows, miniatures of their parents moving at lightening speed.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the rhyme in this .... something I don't do so well. It flowed and educated at the same time! Lovely.
ReplyDeleteNaturally I love this ... those cute little prairie dogs were the first creatures I thought of ....
ReplyDeleteGood voice consistency from the prairie Dog POV! I especially liked: "What makes it hard is man and beast / Who like to prune and mow" probably because I am on a rant about interference with planetary health. BUT! I also like the sense of the prairie Dog at home in a life that fits.
ReplyDeleteI too love the rhyme and the lessons in your poem! We so need to be more respectful of all living creatures~
ReplyDelete