Today I witnessed three squirrels keeping vigil, sitting beside a fallen comrade. It was a natural death on a grassy knoll by the side of the walkway. No hit-and-run or poisoning as far as I could tell. Perhaps it was a family elder, as the squirrel had the markings of age. The vigil was short, maybe five minutes. And then the mourners moved on, as did I. It felt a privilege to be present for their mourning. We share Earth with all living things, and with some, we even share grief. The scene, though brief, touched me.
Rita Pomade’s “Seeker: A Sea Odyssey,” was shortlisted for the 2019 Concordia University First Book Award. Her work appears in various anthologies, magazines, and poetry reviews. Twitter: @ritaritapomade Instagram: @ri.ta5178