Squirrelled Away - Monday Morning Poetry

"Where do squirrels sleep at night?" Do you know the answer?

Feb 10, 2025

Squirrelled Away

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Sleeping furled up in your drey,
a save and sacred space,
waiting for the day, dreaming,
of friends that give you chase.

Little paintbrushed, jolly ranger,
a murmur in your eggshell belly,
drives you swirling out of bed,
twirling though the trees.

All the branches you make sway,
you are a spirit in the wood,
children point at you and yell:
“Mama, Papa — look!”

Thoughts

"Where do squirrels sleep at night?" Do you know the answer? A drey is not just a shelter; it's a cozy, round nest, thick with twigs and moss, like a bird's nest but more robust. It's where they sleep, dream, and nurse their young. Squirrels build these dreys in tree branches, hollow trees, windowsills, and wherever they think it's safe.

Squirrels don't hibernate. For two hours each day in winter, they wake up to eat from their stashes - but don't seem to remember all their hiding places. It's understandable; they can have up to 3000 of them per season. With their ingenuity, Squirrels follow a structure while hiding nuts, allowing them to retrace their steps to find enough of their hidden treasures to survive.

Squirrels are literal rangers who, in their own squirrely way, contribute to the growth of our forests as their forgotten stashes become a new generation of trees in spring.

With this poem, I also wanted to explore the other and write a "Dinggedicht," a poem about a thing. The point is to focus less on ourselves, less on us as humans, and more on the world around us.

Children are fascinated by Squirrels. They are all around us and now live in cities and parks, too, but we see them rarely, and children who are less preoccupied with being jaded find them more often.

So, if you see a squirrel (or a bird, a cat, a mouse, etc.), try to see them as a child would and ask questions children would ask, like: "Where do squirrels sleep at night?"

Embracing a childlike perspective on nature keeps you young. It inspires you to see the world more naively, opening up its beauty in ways you grew too cynical to care about.

I hope you have an excellent start into your week!