Animals are passing from our lives

[rejectomorph]

Who wrote that poem? Was it Reverdy? I can't remember. I'll have to root through my books and see if I can find it. But I was reminded of it when I went outside and felt the smallest drops of rain on my face, and thought for a moment that I heard something trotting along the street in the darkness. A fox?

It has been several years since I have seen a fox here. There used to be foxes almost nightly, in the warmer weather. I like the sound of them barking. Rather like a poodle doing an impression of Axl Rose- or vice-versa. They would make a whistling sound, as well. Cute, shy little grey guys with bushy tails. I wonder where they have all gone?

We once had tree frogs here, as well. It has been almost as long since I have seen one of them as it has been since I've seen (or heard) a fox. The last tree frog I saw actually came in the house. I saw him one night, hopping across the living room floor. He took up residence in a potted plant for a couple of days. Then, a few nights later, I saw him on the wall near the front door. I left the door standing open for a few minutes, and he hopped out. That was the last I saw of the last tree frog I have seen. I suppose that some may still live in the deeper woods nearby, but they no longer visit my yard. I miss the frogs, as well as the foxes.

Comments

i have a little fox story.

[aurora-adora.livejournal.com]

once, when my dad and i were golfing, he was trying to teach me where i should hit the ball. he told me to shoot over by the little dog. he did. when the "little dog" moved we noticed that it was a fox, and not a little dog at all. the fox moved toward his ball, right in the middle of the fairway. then it ran off. when we went to look for the ball, we realized that the fox took his ball. it put it right in his mouth, and took it away. we looked for that ball forever, but alas the wily fox...

...and how few even notice

[jaarronn.livejournal.com]

Although this makes me sad, I always enjoy reading the things you write here. So few people seem to notice the things you do...things of the senses - things keenly observed and felt and thought about...and often difficult to convey with words. You do them all so very well. Thank you.

BTW, I've meant to ask: Have you ever read any of Loren Eiseley's books? If not, I'm quite sure you'd like the things he wrote about and the way he wrote. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4189/

[shane.livejournal.com]

philip levine.

fox sighting

[bixie.livejournal.com]

the only time I've ever seen a wild fox was in Zuerich, in 1995. I was up the Zuriberg (large hill, really). we were walking from the outdoor skating rink along the path to the tram stop & it was snowing & the lights from the city were coming up the side of the hill (it's quite steep, actually -- you can look down & see the tops of people's houses & what seem like practically vertical gardens all the way down the hill until you get back to the "city" part). and this fox just ran out of the trees -- not really even very fast -- and stopped in the path & looked at us. and we stopped & looked at it. and then it left. it was very cool. that was a nice night all around.

[rejectomorph]

Thanks. That made it much easier to track down. I only have Levine in anthologies. Things are always difficult to find in those, especially since I have about 30 of them.

fox

[(Anonymous)]

I have seen fox at the College of Marin campus in Marin county California. Usually on a cool winter day in late December during school break. I would see them noising about the bushes and watching me as I walk along a path. Not to shy these fox from suburban Marin. I have seen maybe four fox in the nine some years that I lived in Marin. They have a cat-like quality that I find intriguing.

T.