The humble …

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 15 Nov 2017
  • 2139 reads
3 comments
 

Slithery, wriggly soil aerators,
food for blackbirds, badgers, raptors;
back end fixed as bristles grasp
the soil, the front end stretches,
eats or nudges, squeezes, pushes,
then anterior bristles clasp
the grains of earth, the rear, released,
contracts, pulls in – its body greased
by all that moisture, slime, will cast
soil from lower down, enriched
excretions from consuming compost.

 

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, PT. I got the photo in our compost bin. Sometimes there seem to be masses of baby earthworms in there. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

A great study of the earthworm Rhiannon. I always think they're so underrated, when really they're of such great value to the eco-system.

Glad you wrote this tribute to the wriggly worm.

Jenny.

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. My mother-in-law just couldn't understand/remember/hear my explanation about this picture and about compost bins, and ended up by saying something like 'I don't think I've seen one, they must be very shy!' Suddenly communication and hearing are substantially reduced, but mostly I hit on things she can understand. Rhiannon