My Saddest Day of 2014

[deckardcanine]

Some years ago, while living in a house,
I noticed an abandoned newborn mouse.
He lay upon the sidewalk, very still.
I thought he was already dead until
I realized that he wasn’t rotten, bleeding,
Or luring any insects to a feeding,
Just tiny, pink, and hairless like a worm.
I tapped him with my shoe and saw him squirm.
His eyes still closed, he turned his head to me
And opened up his mouth, no teeth to see.
I pitied him but had a place to go.
I did come back within three hours or so.
Alas, he lay exactly where he had
Before, his movements slowed; he’d soon be dead.
It looked unlikely Mama would return.
She must have lost her life or her concern.
I weighed my options: If I took him home
And nursed him back to health, where would he roam?
I’m sure I lacked the nutrients to nourish
And needed lots of time to help him flourish.
Perhaps I’d simply move him to the grass
So that the sidewalk wouldn’t be a mess.
But in the end, I walked back home and got
A cloth and litter scooper. It was not
Too hard to put the baby in a bag,
Which seemed to make him comfy as it sagged.
I sealed it with a trace amount of air,
Then put it in a can and left him there.
I told my landlords so as not to freak
Them out if they should chance to take a peek
While taking out the garbage: He had been
Discovered well outside the house, not in.
I sighed and felt that no one could dispute
I’d never killed an animal so cute.