Hedgehogs

By Rhiannonw

Sat, 28 Mar 2015
  • 2712 reads
8 comments
 

Fat little snufflers
searching through leaf litter
for worms, or slugs, or beetles
– it doesn’t really matter.

Long and spiny prickles –
they roll up in a ball
when they feel a danger,
which doesn’t help at all
if they’ve wandered on to
a road or motorway:
hedgehogs do not understand
to try to get away.

The drivers cannot see them,
and prickles can’t protect,
so hedgehogs need to keep off roads
when searching to collect
their food to make them fatter
before it is too late
(– soon, autumn comes, and cold,
and hedgehogs hibernate)

They sleep throughout the winter,
except on some warm days,
a sleep that’s deep; they nestle
in some small cosy space
with leaves or grass around them,
until the warmth of spring –
their body uses up that fat,
and when they wake, they’re thin!

 

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Children's
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

They are lovely animals, don't seem to see as many these days.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

There is concern and research going on about that I think – changing garden habitats probably has something to do with it, I must check again. Thanks for commenting. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hi there, Rhiannon.  Yes, I'd noticed the 'U' option had mysteriously disappeared, too.

Love the way you start this little gem;  'fat little snufflers' describes them beautifully. We used to see quite a lot round this way, but not so in recent years, unfortunately.

Very much enjoyed your prickly poemsmiley

Tina

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Tina. I found this in doing some tidying up of old material, and realised I hadn't posted it and it might be nice to do so. Also thought it did highlight the 'U' problem, I didn't like the idea of children's verse posted as 12 somehow. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hilary west on

I must confess a terrible thing happened to a hedgehog in my garden once. It was before people like Alan Titchmarsh told us to look under rubbish heaps before setting them alight. I never gave it a thought and yes one was under the leaves and rubbish. It did survive but I don't know for how long, its legs looked cooked. Sad when I think about it, and many regrets! Loved your poem even though it brought back this memory!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

sad thing to happen! but so easily done, — but now some reading your story here might take warning! Thanks for your comment. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

Lovely little poem Rhiannon for kids and the rest of us

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jean. Rhiannon