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Opossum
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Possum poetry
’Possums
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree
With ’possums clinging to each limb
Like tiny, pink-tailed cherubim.
A ’possum thinks of God all day,
And lifts her gaze as though to pray;
A ’possum may in Summer scare
A nest of robins from her lair;
And winter’s snow she does disdain,
Although she will acquaint with rain.
Poems are made by fools like us’em,
But only God can make a ’possum.
Opossum Beauty
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that’s but of dark and bright
Meet in her fur and beady eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray less free,
Had half impaired the ’possum’s grace
Which swings in every raven tree.
Glint softly lightens o’er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how chaste their dwelling-place.
And on that nose or o’er that brow
So soft, so calm, so eloquent,
The grins that win, the feints that throw,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A ’possum’s heart is innocent.
Thanks to http://opossum.craton.net/opoetry.htm |
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| To LordPotty: Possum | jimbob |
1 |
07-30 15:39 |
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- Janice
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3446 W: 144 N: 5881]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(17425) - [2007-07-24 19:54]
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Ha, our favourite pest - and imported from Australia... We wish they would take them back!
They are quite vicious creatures and can do a lot of damage around the house and garden. We had one living in an inside wall of the cottage that we lived in while building our house on this land. Very noisy during the night and we managed to lock it out by putting chicken-mesh over the hole it was climbing into to get into the roof!
He's a bit soft Jim, but that's expected as you must have taken this photo at night - not easy to find to take a photo of either, so well done
Janice
Hmmm ... I don't think many Kiwis would appreciate those sentiments Jim.
The Possum is public enemy number one here.
Before Europeans arrived the only two mammals in NZ were two tiny species of bat.
Thgis meant that all our flightless birds, like Kiwi, Kakapo and Moa had no natural predators, and had evolved no defences as such.
With the introduction of rats, mice, possums, weasels, ferrets, stoats, rabbits, hare and deer. New Zealands native species declined rapidly.
Possums have multiplied to plague proportions (having no predators whatsoever, and decimate our native forests, stripping the foliage and buds from trees, and eating eggs of native birds.
I'm afraid most rural dwelling Kiwis wouldn't hesitate to bump one of these off given the chance. I know they look cute and furry, but they are bad news here ... sorry :)
![Silver Note Writer [C: 1 W: 0 N: 115]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/n-n-s.gif){kind=small}