Just
home from Publix, I turned on the light,
began
to put groceries away.Paused for a moment, glanced to my right,
saw dark shapes in aerial display.
Two bats had somehow followed me in;
they silently, gracefully glided.
Avoiding walls skillfully, they’d spin
with ultrasound, reliably guided.
My door
open wide, they wouldn’t fly outꟷ
disoriented,
flying in circles tight.Chose to ignore that obvious route,
then behind my sofa chose to alight.
With bowl and dustpan I released one outside.
(The other would have none of that.)
But when I turned off all room lights inside,
out flew the grateful brown bat.
My inside lights had kept them blind
(they are nocturnal, after all).
Needed darkness, for their freedom to find.
Let’s love all creatures, great and small!
Will Walsh