Poetry – No More Squashed Hedgehogs

No More Squashed Hedgehogs

I drove through the country lanes.

There were no squashed hedgehogs in the road

And I was saddened.

I know some people

Actually went out of their way to squash the spiky creatures

With their cars.

They veered across the road

And laughed at the little bump they made as the tyres

Crushed their delicate bodies.

It used to make be sad

To see their flattened little corpses with their guts

Spewed out.

But right now

I would crave to see any number of them

Murdered on the highways.

Opher – 18.4.2019

It used to be a common sight. Jokes were made about them:

‘Why did the hedgehog cross the road? – To see his flat mate!’

I never found them funny.

Hedgehogs are such wonderful creatures. We used to have one who came to visit frequently. We fed it cat food from a saucer. It became quite tame. But that was long ago.

There are no squashed hedgehogs because there are so few hedgehogs.