Grudgingly Accepting…
(Watching badgers at Temple Balsall…)
The adult badger detected the early evening presence
Of nutritious morsels lying on the earth, coarse and dry
Between each grim, gaping sett entrance,
Above which the yo-yoing midges sought to fly.
One cub reacted to its parent’s inquisitiveness
But soon retreated and hunkered back underground,
Whilst the adult rooted across the dirt in its eagerness
To forage and listen for any unfamiliar sound.
The adult, unfazed by passing vehicles, the graft
Of flitting magpies, the tuneless honking of geese nearby
And the regular roaring drone of overhead aircraft,
Ranged, grazed and snuffled wiry weeds and grass awry.
Two cubs eventually displayed more confidence
And fed, but the adult, though voraciously eating,
Occasionally peered my way with a wary defiance,
Yet of my presence seemed to be grudgingly accepting…
Pete Ray
11th June 2025…
Temple Balsall, Warwickshire, as a warm June evening began to settle in…
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