Of Humans and Their Nature



for some reason every Spring
the same pair of Mallards
a brightly colored drake
and evenly brown hen
land to rest for a while in a narrow
drainage ditch behind my project
on their way to some other destination
to raise a new brood of chicks

unfortunately for them
also bordered by a bicycle path

there's plenty of room for everyone
the field stretching fifteen to twenty feet
from the path to my back yard
but for these ducks
in the middle of a city
apparently not enough

with my strong pair of binoculars
I could watch them for hours
pondering their rationale
if it could be called that
as to this particular location

in the brief time I've observed them
despite the lack of any
substantial water nearby
my own instinct tells me
they might even nest there
if not for a steady stream of
meddling passersby



what is it about some humans?
just can't leave things alone
simply can't admire wildlife
at an unthreatening distance

small children perhaps to be forgiven
for the want to chase them
but older ones go after them on their bikes
even a grown man
slowly tries to get closer
the Mallards instinctively shying away
eventually harassed to the point of flight

sometimes they return within a day or so
other seasons not till the following year

so annoyed by this behavior
I'm tempted to hang up my
binoculars and camera
wait till a small crowd has gathered
and like them
get as close as I can to the ducks
then pull out a shotgun
and blast the birds into oblivion

maybe then
with no ducks to distract us
we can all get on with our own
oh so significant lives




© 2004
Revised © 2019
Photos © 2008 by author

800 hits as of December 2024

04/16/2019

Posted on 04/16/2019
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti