There was a young lady named Claire
Who visited the wolf in his lair.
Without bothering to phone
She went there alone.
There was a young lady named Claire …
There Was A Young Lady Named Claire
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Tag Archives: wolves
Shouting Into The BlackForest
A young child, at the edge of a vast forest, calls out
“is there anybody there?”
The silence echos back at him, as it has always done. But, sooner or later something may answer his call. Will it be a large, friendly Labrador, with it’s tail wagging furiously that comes rushing out of the forest’s black interior to greet him, or a pack of ravenous wolves. He knows not, yet he continues to call.
—
Is not the above, rather like our obsession with finding “aliens”? I don’t know whether they exist, but our obsession with shouting into the dark forest may, sooner or later result in us finding out. Perhaps the confirmation of the existence of aliens will be the last knowledge we, as humans gain …
Wolves
A lone wolf
At the edge of the pack
Feels no lack
Of comrades true
For through
The clouds his friend,the moon, breaks.
He howls and wwakes
The ancient fear
In those dwelling near.
The hunter his gun aims.
The wolf’s brains
Explode.
There is no need to reload.
Taking up the body of his friend
He glances at the clouds which portend
A storm.
The sky so dark and forlorn.
Alone
At home
He sits
And strips
The carcass bare.
The pack neither know nor care
About the hunter’s prey.
They will commune
With the moon
Another day.
Come The Gloom
It is too soon
For the moon
To Rise.
The prize
Is for the taking.
The wolf is not yet waking
But come the gloom
his thirst he will be slaking.
The Wolf And The Owl
The wise old owl scowled,
At the lone grey wolf who howled,
As she prowled,
Intent on deeds most foul,
Under the rising moon.
Said the owl, “Must you howl,
In a manner quite so foul?
You cause my head to ache,
Go and jump in yonder lake.
Said the wolf, “Make no mistake,
It is getting late,
The lake is freezing cold,
And I am not so bold”.
Guide Foxes For The Blind
I was interested to read about a new organisation, Foxes for the Blind which has recently launched. As those of you who have knowledge of the world of canines will be aware, foxes fall under that classification. They are, in effect a dog albeit of the wild variety.
My first instinct on reading of this new charitable venture was a certain amount of scepticism. How could what is, essentially a wild beast be trained so as to furnish much needed assistance to visually impaired persons. However, as pointed out above, foxes are classified as canines and, if socialised from very young cubs behave rather like our four-legged friends.
The inspiration for this venture came from a group of farmers in Cornwall who (as with most farmers) became fed up with foxes attacking their livestock so, rather than culling Mr fox they determined to take fox cubs and train this most wiley of creatures to provide assistance to those with a visual impairment.
Farmer Michael Giles comments as follows,
“One day I came into my farmyard to find a fox attempting to gain entrance into my hen coop. My instinct was to reach for my trusty shot gun. However I hesitated. It was a young fox and had, potentially many years before it. It struck me how there exist a potentially huge source of cheap animals to provide guides for those with little sight. I know that breeding guide dogs can be expensive so, I thought why not start training this plentiful source of fox recruits.
Things are going well, however some blind fox owners complain of a highly pungent scent eminating from their fox. I recommend they spray the animal with aftershave or some other variety of perfume. However, for some unaccountable reason the foxes object to such treatment and have been known to escape back into the wild.
There is also an issue with dogs setting off in hot pursuit of the guide foxes but, in general everything is progressing well. In fact I am talking to a farmer in Africa with plans to train guide lions. The plan is at an early stage. There is, however no reason in principle why guide lions for the blind should not prove to be equally viable. Tomorrow guide lions, next week, who knows, wolves for the blind? Well dogs are descended from wolves which are, as with foxes part of the canine family”.
I will dig out a link for the story later today when I have more time to devote to researching this fascinating topic.
May I close by wishing you all a very happy All Fools or April Fools day.
Wolf
My fairy wolf, your ears so floppy and soft. I stroke them. Your eyes slowly droop, little noises of contentment. A tail thumps.
I cease momentarily. Bump, bump – your big Labrador head knocks my hand
“Please, more” you say in your own so unique way.
My big hairy wolf, there is no past or future for you, just this moment, the strokes, you and I dog and master together on this spring day.
London Fox
I lie my mind attempting to focus after deep slumber. A sound cold and sharp reaches me. The bark of a fox hunting or calling to it’s mate. The quilt has fallen. The cold sound of the fox mingles with my coldness. I shiver pulling the cover over me. Bark, bark the noise fills the early morning.
3.30ish. I need to drink. Entering my living room, on the way to the kitchen I pass my domesticated fox. No not a fox but my dog seemingly unaware of his cousin outside. He lies sleeping separated by the thin veil of domesticity from his wild relation.
The sound has ceased. I fall asleep and dream confusedly of dogs and wolves.
K Morris - Poet 