by PHILIP LARKIN The mower stalled, twice; kneeling, I foundOverheard is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. A hedgehog jammed up against the blades, Killed. It had been in the long grass.
Such events can crush the soul.
Yes, they can.
I remember when a family friend, a farmer, told me his son in law had bushwhacked a young calf.
It turns out that cows often hide their newborns in the tall grasses. The son in law was new at farming and had no idea. No one emerged unscathed.
Lovely. Reminiscent of Robert Burns' "To a Mouse" but sharper and more contemporary. Thank you for sharing.
Sad, sad, wonderful Philip Larkin. His “new absence” is all too familiar these days. Thank you, Esther. Got me back to his Collected Poems.