Song of an Urban Coyote

From under an obsolete ledge

Emerges a tawny coyote

Embarking her crepuscular venture

Out to hunt not merely for herself

She left in the den a litter of pups so puny

Trapped in this urban city

Her path to find sustenance is rolling

Thorny and lengthy

Long ago it was a grass prairie

Where her ancestors shared with

Bison moose and other creatures

Wistfully now it is occupied

By houses and people so noisy

Trotting along

She got to get going with her mission

Finding food to keep her youngsters alive

Curving through parks jumping over fences

She walks warily behind bushes and shrubs

When comes to street side she loses her shelter

And exposes herself to threats with

Shouting chasing water jets spraying

She tries to evade these nuisances so nasty

Nature is not lenient to her tonight

Still without any prey in sight

Where are those plump rodents

The moon is too showy stars too bright

Critters are hiding away somewhere

All she can see are those

Docile felines and canines busy

Ingratiating themselves with their men

For luxurious dwellings and gourmet treats

Stingily they wouldn’t spare even a morsel

Nonetheless she would not trade

her autonomy and freedom in the wild

For those sumptuous gratifications

Now the night is late

She’s still trotting along

The moon high up is tittering

Stars tired of watching are shutting their eyes

Not for long the sun will arrive and wake up people

Before streets crowded with roaring cars

Before barking yelling rock throwing upon her again

She got to secure a game large enough to

Feed her pups and cache some away

By Shih-Fang Wang

From: United States