Domestic Terrorists
The day we had mice - one brown - one grey - both tiny,
my mother screamed, then stood on the kitchen table.
I thought they were cute, and wanted to play with them.
Certainly they were unique to me at three.
Father dashed in (it was Saturday),
and then rushed at them brandishing the broom.
I was glad they both got away ––
scurrying toward the basement storage room.
But father soon went out, and took the lead.
He set traps baited with bits of cheddar cheese.
Afterward we found the creatures dead ––
necks crushed. I felt ill at ease.
Poor little things! All they knew was hunger.
Should hunger be a capital offense?
FreeThinke - 9/30/08
I can tolerate mice in the sheds. But here in the house? No way!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the vast majority of mammals do have personalities.
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ReplyDeleteWell, it learned not to invade my space uninvited.
ReplyDeleteCareful duckman... lol! You might develop a blind spot. ;)
When I lived in Caracas we had one downstairs bathroom... in which, one fine morning, we discovered a "swimming rat". I was assigned the distinct pleasure of "dispatching" it... as I had an archery set and was used to shooting rats as they ran along one of the ledges of the 12 foot high perimeter wall that surrounded our backyard.
ReplyDeleteI did learn one lesson from the experience. Always use the best weapon for the job. I should have dispensed with the "bow" and simply used an arrow as a "spear".
As much as we would like to "distance" ourselves from our problems, sometimes you just have to put aside your fears (and corresponding desire for a separating distance) and deal with them close up... mano a mano.
...you may have to "alter" the "customary use" of the tools you have available to do the job and improvise... for no one can possibly anticipate every "black swan" event, despite the Boy Scout and Coast Guard motto's.
ReplyDelete...lest tragedy ensue.
ReplyDeletebtw - You might want to understand the curious origins of the song in the link above. For it is from yesterday's mistakes that tomorrows lessons originate.
ReplyDeleteWell, ya never ow what you're gong to wind up hauling in when you cast the nets., do you?
ReplyDeleteSHEESH!
...sometimes you pull in a sea turtle or porpose when tunafishing.
ReplyDeleteA charming vignette from your childhood, FT. I can see from the illustrations you picked that you still feel sympathy for those two mice. They do have sweet little faces, don't they? But, AOW's right, because mice can cause lots of damage if allowed to run free and multiply in a house. Still it's hard to see fellow mammals as vermin. Rats are different, because they can grow so large, and can become aggressive. Thank you for another unique post.
ReplyDeleteHelen Highwater