Water snake mama resting on a beaver dam;

three baby snakes adjacent, squirmed tight.

Together, Entwined, Twitching.

She dives and rises, live fish in her mouth

and glides away freely, alone.

Head above water, fish flapping,

glinting the sunlight back at me.

A scatter in the long grass

as countless fluffy babies flee at my footfall;

Running willy nilly, hither thither.

Mama turkey calls and shouts and flaps,

while sprinting away.

All the babies following her,

(except the one, there’s always one)

waddling away, full speed the other direction.

Standing silent, my ears cocked skyward;

A nursery of herons overhead, unseen.

A constant babble, laughter screech non-stop.

Novel sounds, swirling Jurassic images in my mind.

A mama’s almost silent flight

returning to her nest,

Raucous riotous eruption.

One mama to another, I see the work.

The caring, the protection,

relentless outpouring of love.

The fear of loss, of failure.

The endless tiring days and night

that go on forever. Until they don’t.

Mamas you hold their whole world in your heart.