The field grass stood so tall
the deer trampling through
left a maze of hidden trails.
But now it hugs the ground,
battered by rain and wind,
buried under ice and snow,
forming intricate tunnels
where mice, voles and kin
can escape the bitter cold.
Yet within this cozy cavern,
life is seldom safe or sure.
A fox or coyote on the prowl
may catch a critter’s scent
and dive, an uninvited guest,
into the humble home below.
Or an owl may hear a stir
and ball its claws into tiny fists
to power through nature’s roof
of thatch and ice and snow.
