The Arctic Hare

By well-wisher

Fri, 10 Dec 2010
  • 2278 reads
5 comments
 

Now where is the hare?
Is it here or there?
With its coat so white,
it keeps out of sight.

And if not for that magic coat,
it’d be prey to fox or stoat,
the Arctic wolf or snowy owl
or polar bears out on the prowl.

Yet the hare can see what’s unseen;
smell willows underground
with twitching nose and, with its keen
ears, hear the slightest sound.

You glimpse a black tipped ear;
its eyes, jewels in the snow
but then it disappears.
Now where did that hare go?

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Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on
Hi well-wisher, what an amazing poem you have written here, it's so full of nature, which I love. Thankyou for a very enjoyable read. Jenny.

 

Submitted by well-wisher on
Thanks, Jenny. I wanted to write something Wintery yet non Christmassy. To be honest, I only intended it to be a light hearted bit of doggerel; not a proper nature poem. I've never seen a real arctic hare so it's completely drawn from my imagination and a bit of research (mostly taken off of the internet). I do find nature beautiful, magical and inspiring though; like an epic living story with quadrillions of Characters and I also believe that we, human beings, are characters in nature's story too.

Oh look, a link. I wonder where it leads.

JoHn

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on
This is lovely, well-wisher. It reminds me of a day last winter when we had a heavy snowfall and in the field next to my house were two hares (not arctic ones I hasten to add) chasing each other and having a wonderful time rolling around in the white stuff. It was quite some sight and indeed I wrote a poem about it too. I like this stanza of yours especially: "Yet the hare can see what’s unseen; smell willows underground with twitching nose and, with its keen ears, hear the slightest sound." Tina

 

Submitted by well-wisher on
Thanks, Tina. Hares (and Rabbits) are quite amazing and beautiful creatures. One of my favorite books/films has always been "Watership Down". I'm also a rabbit (in the Chinese Zodiac) and I've always felt a certain affinity with them. Is your Hare poem on ABCtales? If it is, I'll have a read.

Oh look, a link. I wonder where it leads.

JoHn

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on
Hi again! Yes, I love rabbits too, but hares are something else! The ones round here are quite big and their ears - so very long. My poem is on ABC, by the way, and called 'Just This ...' written last February, in case you are interested;-) And speaking of the Chinese Zodiac, I think I'm a pig!! Which says it is really;-) Tina