Wolf Sonnet
By Aljan
When I saw a wolf pack in the wild, I knew I wanted to study them
I followed in their shadow, studying them in every way
Though I believed myself unknown to them, I was erroneous
One night they came as I slept and began to learn from me
How do I know this?
Scat and footprints told me all I needed to know and their message was unmistakable
“Don’t hide in the dark like some scavenger waiting for leftovers. Show yourself, we know you are here and there.”
I tracked them to the place they called home
I made camp close but not too close to their den
Soon the wolves came out to investigate
They did not come too close but close enough I could see the color of their irises
They seemed to talk amongst themselves, wondering what to make of me
Eventually, they left, accepting my presence
Days passed and so did a year
Pups came and grew
I learned more then I could have ever imagined from the wolves
Parent wise, they never abandon their progeny
If the parents died, others will take custody
It is my opinion that out of all the animals I’ve studied
The wolf is the best parent of all
Another year passed, and I began to realize something about the rift between Man and the Wolf
The people who hate wolves and even kill, shot, and trap them have one thing in common
They do not know that much about the wolf
I, myself, used to dislike the wolves
I used to believe the stories I heard of the wolf killings and cattle slaughters
But now that I’ve seen the wolf with my own eyes
I know their stories are false
Wolves, like us, live
They raise families and love another
Are they not like us?
Some people say the wolf deprive hunter’s of sport due to the fact they hunt deer
True, they do hunt deer, but they do not always go for the healthy bucks
They are the hunters who deprive the deep population of the sick, old, and dying
They ensure that the Deer race can live on without disease
In the West, stories are told of wolves attacking livestock
Who is to blame?
Those who killed off the wild buffalo
Copyright RSD