A Chance

 

Today I found a severed stem

of milkweed, with each pod ajar –

so, like a wand, I waved it high

to help the tufted seeds fly far.

And many sailed into the sky,

but others tangled in small trees,

and so I went to pluck them there

and fling them out onto the breeze.

Were I a seed snagged on a bough,

I'd want someone to set me free,

and have a chance to reach the earth

to thrive where I am meant to be.

November 2020

(from the book Longing For The Light by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

 

New Update on Venus

Today, November 16th, I contacted the shelter that took in the little fox, Venus, for another update.  Here is what I received:

Hi Doris!!!

Venus is doing fine, her skin and fur are a lot better, she can now stand on her back legs and she is starting to walk ... one of her back legs is worse than the other, so it is going to take time but I am pretty sure that she is going to recover at least 75%.  Here is a picture of her beautiful face!

Marie-Claude 

November 16th

Compare this to how she looked over the last few months!

July 11th

 (this may be a sibling but they were all in the same terrible condition)

September 30th

 (just arriving at the shelter)

October 16th

Further update of December 18, 2023:

Hello Doris!!

Venus is doing so great!!!!  She is not anymore in the care place; she is now in the "refuge" where she is walking and she started to run!!!!  Her fur is beautiful!!! She does not want me to touch her anymore which means she is going to be able to get back to the wild in the Spring!!!

Marie-Claude

Transformation

A garden, abandoned and wild –

liberated from man's designs –

basks in each summer day.

Then soon arrives November's chill –

and bitter winds and evening frost

mean winter's on the way.

The goldenrod – its treasure spent

in wild and wanton revelries –

retires in shades of buff.

The aster drops its purple fringe –

its yellow center detonates

into a soft, beige puff.

The milkweed's blushing, perfumed blooms

give way to tasseled seeds that sail

above a pale tableau.

Autumnal hues once warm and strong,

fade slowly from the cooling scene,

soon to be blanched by snow.

November 2020

(from the book Longing For The Light by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Update On Venus

I contacted the shelter that took in Venus and got this reply on October 16th:

Hi Doris!!

Her skin is a LOT better!!! At the end of the week she is not going to be contagious anymore [referring to the mange] and we are going to start her physiotherapy for her to get back her muscles in the back legs ... she is a lot too skinny, so for sure is going to be with us for the winter ...  That's the news for now, thank you for helping her.

Marie-Claude Poirier

I then asked for a photo and received this:

The most positive thing to me is that her eyes are wide open!  With the elimination of all her parasites, I'm sure she is feeling much better and hopefully her appetite will improve soon.

Then there was a big surprise in store for me when I returned to the area to try to get a glimpse of Jupiter!  A third fox kit has appeared!!  I call him "Saturn".

That's Jupiter in front (with a redder coat) and Saturn behind (with a straw-colored coat).

Back in July, I was talking to a woman who lives in the area and she said there were three baby foxes.  I only ever saw two together.  We both presumed that the third one had died.  I'm really glad to see that they all lived.  I will be monitoring both these kits and hope they stay in the area in case they need emergency care.

Jupiter

 

I was glad to get a sighting of Jupiter today!  He is, of course, in bad shape from his mange but is still able to get around and his coat is getting thicker.

I am still hopeful that we can capture him (like we did with his sister Venus) so that he can be treated and brought to good health.

This video shows that he can walk and even trot although a close look (especially in other videos) shows that he is favoring his left hind leg.

Venus and Jupiter – two little foxes

This is a story of extreme resilience and courage on the part of two small fox kits.  In particular, it is about a female kit whom I have named Venus.

Back in April of 2023 I got a quick sighting of an adult fox on land behind a local cemetery.

This was followed by a sighting of a different adult fox in the same area in May.

 

Shortly after those sightings, I heard from a number of people that fox kits were seen in the area as well.  I suspected the adults pictured above were their mother and father.  But it was only until mid-July that I finally saw two fox kits.  I was shocked by the sight of them!  They both had a severe case of mange (mites which burrow into their skin) causing their fur to fall out and their skin to become infected and covered with crusty scabs.  They were barely able to open their eyes!  I videoed them and photographed them and made an online report that night to an animal rescue group called Sauvetage Animal Rescue (SAR).

I called the group the next day.  As eager as they were to help, they had to seek special authorization from the Quebec Ministry of the Environment to use a live trap on foxes and so I waited.  When several days went by, I called again.  They were still waiting but said they would contact the government again.  More time passed and I was told finally that permission had been denied.  All we could do was wait for them to become so weak that they could be caught in a net!

I knew that those kits could have been trapped quite easily.  I don't know what happened to their parents as they usually remain as a family unit for 7 months.  These two were about 4 1/2 months old.  My frustration (with the government, not the rescue group) grew as I saw these baby foxes suffering immensely from the mange.  After every few steps they would stop and scratch, shake their heads, or rub against each other.  They were in total, unrelenting misery.

A 90 second video can be viewed below. (It may be best to play it on mute due to a loud whine of construction work nearby).

On August 11th, I saw Venus and she was looking better.  Her fur was growing in and I felt that maybe she could overcome the mange.

But then on September 21st, I was devastated to see her dragging herself across a field.  Her hindlegs were useless and I didn't know what to make of this.  Had she been hit by a car or maybe a train?

One week later I saw her again and watched as she dragged herself across two fields and then along railroad tracks over large chunks of gravel and rocks that must have cut into her legs.  A very long freight train came rumbling down the tracks and, once it had passed, I looked in fear of seeing her crushed body but there she was still hobbling over the rocks.  (She is to the left of the tracks near the center of the photo below).

I took a video and made a new report to SAR.  With the fox in such a weakened state, maybe we could get her.  An attempt was made on September 22nd when a team of three rescuers arrived only to miss her by 15 minutes! (She had been sleeping).

Then, on September 30th, I spotted her in the distance in a grassy area near some greenhouses.  We looked at each other and, to my astonishment, she started an arduous trip through the grasses and fallen leaves until she was right up beside me!

Check out this 30 second video:

After that, she dragged herself into a shady place to rest and I called the group again.  They could come within 40 minutes with nets to try to catch her!  Great!

I was hoping she would stay put but this little fox was always determined to keep moving even though it must have been exhausting and painful for her to do so.  She dragged herself to an area behind the greenhouses where there were some large metal storage containers and wooden pallets.  At one point she got spooked and wedged herself between a container wall and a large wooden pallet leaning against it.  I was able to block off both the entrance and the only exit (or so I thought) with weighted down plastic bins.  When the team arrived, they soon discovered that there was an opening under the container (just fox-sized!) and the little one had crawled through it. She then managed to crawl from one container to another and only through a team effort and quick action was she finally confined to a place where she had only one exit available.

Then came even more hard work (by the rescue team) to hold a flashlight and gently prod her with a long pole until she emerged.  I was standing at one end of her exit route with a net and as her head emerged, I watched her size up the situation.  She first looked at one of the team members on her left, then she turned her head to the right and looked straight into my eyes, hesitated, and finally made her move toward me.  In a quick motion, the second team member was able to immobilize her and she was transferred to a carrier without incident.  The whole process took over an hour and I am so impressed by the dedication, quick-thinking, and physical effort these young women exhibited!  I am very grateful to Sauvetage Animal Rescue and their volunteers.

Soon thereafter, Venus was being driven to a wildlife rehabilitation shelter in an undisclosed location.  Immediately upon her arrival, primary care was provided which included rehydration, medication against mange, bathing and feeding.

Later on, I received an update that the shelter staff (these people are saints!) had spent over 3 hours cleaning her fur and skin that was infested with mites and larvae.  Two days later she was examined by a vet and found to be in pretty good shape despite being extremely thin.  The vet also determined that her legs were not paralyzed but were very weak due to loss of muscle mass.  The latest update said that she will be "on her feet" within 2 to 3 months.

Now I am trying to monitor the second kit (whom I've named Jupiter).  I saw him yesterday (just a glimpse) and I have recruited a couple of "look-outs" in the area who will let me know when they see him.  His mange looks just as severe as was Venus' but, so far, he is strong enough to be able to run (although I have noticed a slight weakness in one hindleg).  I hope I will be able to give positive news on Jupiter's situation in a future post.

Jupiter

Playful young Cooper's Hawks

 

As in previous years, a pair of Cooper's Hawks raised a family in a nearby cemetery.  The nest was not well situated to get shots of the nestlings but as soon as the four young hawks were flying about, they have been giving me many photographic opportunities – especially when on the ground and being playful.

I have been entertained by their antics: running around a small tree and "ambushing" each other; throwing leaves up in the air to pounce on; sneaking up and pulling each others' tails; etc.  I was lucky enough to get a two minute video of the four of them playing around a small tree.  

You can watch it here:  young hawks playing

Enjoy!

Enraptured by Raptors

 

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Cooper's Hawks

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Merlin

Kestrel

All these birds were photographed within or passing over college campuses a few minutes walk from my home. I am amazed every day by the variety of birds in this small green space – one of very few that has so far escaped development.

 

 

Thrush

 

A thrush steps through the fallen leaves

With gracefulness and care,

Then stops to cast a dreamy glance

And shyly lingers there.

Her breast's adorned with misty spots

That fade from taupe to buff –

She flies up to an aspen's branch

To call her "chuff", "chuff", "chuff"...

November 2020

(from the book Longing For The Light by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

View From A Window

 

Battered by rain and wind,

the window pane shudders

from the violent assault.

Spattered glass displays

trees that sway and buck

in defiance of the gale,

Until a swift alchemy

turns the leaden skies

into streams of gold.

2020

(from the book Longing For The Light by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Starlight

I stumble through the night

Wishing there were starlight.

The path is long and dark

Lacking any landmark.

Then as the end comes near

Strong winds arrive to clear

The sky of all that bars

The grandeur of the stars.

They shine on me below,

Offering their guidance,

And my starlight shadow

Walks with me in silence.

2021

(from the book Longing For The Light by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

If You Can't Find Me In My Bed

If you can't find me in my bed,

come out and look for me under the moon.

Listen to the notes of the robin's song in the pre-dawn night.

I'll be in the shadows with the cats and skunks and raccoons.

I'll be crouching between wall and wheel filling up their bowl.

And I'll be filling my lungs with the scent of trees and grass and earth.

And I will listen to the notes of the robin's song in the pre-dawn night.

June 2018

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Daffodils and Dandelions

 

The daffodil – tended and tame

fashioned by man to an ideal –

In gardens wide it draws acclaim

and yet for me there's no appeal.

The dandelion – scorned as weed,

yet rivalling the sun's bright glow,

thrives on its own and has no need,

for metal spade, nor trowel, no hoe –

And spreading far by windblown seed

it's wild and free to simply grow.

For me that's all I need to know.

2020

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Golden-crowned Kinglet

 

Such tiny head to hold a crown –

how was your coronation?

I hope you deigned to settle down

during the grand occasion.

Your fleeting visits come in spring –

and loyal subjects greet you.

In fall you're once again passing

although we wish to keep you.

And so, my little feathered king,

long may your reign continue.

Noblesse oblige is what you bring –

this virtue lies within you.

2021

(from the book Longing For The Light by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Return of the Red-winged Blackbirds

 

With only remnants left of snow,

And cold and frost now letting go,

There comes my truest sign of spring

With scarlet epauletted wing.

His flash of red is nature's beacon

To say that winter's grip will weaken.

And when the air fills with his song

Of cheering notes so rich and strong,

I know that spring will not be long.

2019

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

A Vegan's Lament

How can long-time animal activists fail

to see that consistency must prevail?

Not only the steer or broiler 

suffers under the knife.

The dairy cow and laying hen

suffer throughout their longer life ...

only to meet the same blade.

Pictures flash in graphic display

on computer screens, day by day.

Atrocities are not in doubt –

no, that secret's out.

But sadly ...

convenience trumps conscience;

preferences trump principles.

Those whose eyes have seen,

whose ears have heard, 

and yet can turn away

for a good night's sleep

with an egg and dairy meal 

the very next day,

fail in a most profound way.

2018

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Moon Bond

 

The moon – 

ever changing yet ever constant.

The overlooking mother.

In darkest sky is when her glow

is brightest on the earth below.

Moods respond to cyclic phases.

Blood currents shift in ebb and flow.

Tidal powers from long ago.

The moon – 

which drew me from my mother's womb,

now re-unites us in the night.

In darkest sky she'll always shine

upon my mother's face and mine.

And though apart, we are as one

where space and time just fall away.

And even when the night is done,

the comfort lingers all the day.

Note: after moving to British Columbia, at the end of each phone call with my mother she would say, "Ok ... now after we hang up, go look at the moon and I will too.  We will both be seeing it at the same time".

(From the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Misassembly

 

Always follow assembly instructions carefully!

International Women's Day 2023 Let's Be Radical

 (This is best viewed on a computer)

I received the following from Vicki Van Linden, Board Member of Animal Alliance of Canada in an email today and was struck by the power of this woman's arguments and the poetry of her words.  I received permission to reproduce it here.

International Women’s Day is here again. And again, we see that women around the world are under threat. Women are still exploited, trafficked, abused, and denied basic human rights in too many nations. Even in westernized nations like our own, women are still underpaid, subjected to violence, and under-represented in positions of power.   There has been progress, but not nearly enough. And as we see unfolding in the United States, hard-won progress can be lost, far more easily than we might have imagined. This is what it means to be vulnerable. This is what it means to be impacted by political and economic systems that have been designed to favour groups that have been traditionally more powerful, more privileged.   Now, let’s consider the plight of the most vulnerable of beings, non-human animals. Beings who can never advocate for themselves. Can never march on Parliament. Can never go on strike. Can never vote.   Let’s consider too the extra burden of being a female animal who is exploited and confined in the animal agriculture industry. All animals suffer in animal agriculture, but surely female animals suffer more. It’s hens who are confined in cages so that their eggs can be sold to humans. It’s cows who are used in the dairy industry so that the milk that should nurture their own young is sold to humans. It’s mother pigs who endure the cruel confinement of gestation and farrowing crates so that the flesh of their babies can be sold to humans. We can widen our circle of compassion every day, including International Women’s Day, to include female animals who endure exploitation because of their reproductive abilities. It takes nothing away from women, does not lessen our resolve to stand by our own human sisters, to include these other female beings in our advocacy and care. Recognizing and acting to end the suffering of others draws on our compassion, enhances our activism, strengthens our commitment to promote equity, and ultimately makes the world a better place for all. We can work for the liberation of all animals while we support the full emancipation of human persons, regardless of gender. We can commit ourselves to working toward equity for all humans as well as all non-humans. We can ‘walk and chew gum’ in our activism. The complete liberation of all animals is considered radical by people engaged in animal-using industries. The liberation of animals is too radical for some, and certainly not easy to achieve. But every progressive social movement has been considered too radical. Every social movement that sought to advance equity aroused anger, even revulsion, in the early stages of its development.   International Women’s Day has its roots in the socialist movement of the early twentieth century in the United States. According to an article in National Geographic, a Russian refugee, labour organizer, and member of the Socialist Party of America named Theresa Malkiel, declared the first ‘National Women’s Day’ in 1909. European socialists later embraced the idea, and ‘International Women’s Day’ was born. In 1917, during World War I, Russian women marked International Women’s Day by marching to oppose Russia’s participation in the war, and to protest the shortage of food. The women’s march inspired men to join, and a massive workers’ strike soon followed. This women’s march is seen by many historians as the beginning of the Russian Revolution. Revolution. Socialism. These are radical roots indeed. Those of us who are women owe the improved status that we do enjoy to the work of people like Theresa Malkiel. We owe our very ability to vote to the suffragettes who endured persecution so that women could participate in electoral politics. We owe our improved opportunities to women who were often reviled and treated as unnatural aberrations in the earlier stages of the Women’s Movement of the twentieth century. These women were radical. And they were mocked and persecuted for being so.   We, too, can be radical. We can state with bravery that we want nothing less than the complete liberation of our fellow sentient beings, the non-human animals who have inherent value as independent beings whose lives belong to themselves. I’m inviting you to be radical with us. Let’s resolve to do all we can to drive our movement for animals forward, to work for nothing less than their complete liberation. Let’s share a day that is dedicated to human women, and fully embrace working for our sisters, and ourselves, and also embrace our non-human fellow beings within our circle of compassion. Through my involvement with Animal Alliance of Canada, I have seen again and again that it is financial interests that so often work against animals. Hunting generates license fees for provincial governments, and profit for commercial businesses. Animal research is used by manufacturers of products to generate wealth. Animal agriculture uses the very bodies of animals as units of profit. Exploitation is profitable. But exploitation causes suffering. So, let’s be radical and work toward a world where vulnerable beings, human and non-human, are no longer exploited. Is such a compassionate world possible? I can’t say. But I do say with certainty that our world can be better. And that in itself is a radical, and worthy, idea.

Night Air

The perfumed night air is heavy with mystery and promise.

I inhale its fragrance deeply into my lungs as if to fill my

soul with its essence.

What stirrings are these?

Haloed clouds drift by the moon and I am transfixed.

It is a delicious loneness –

not a loneliness of despair or disconnection –

but a loneness, a oneness

where the universe is drawn inside me

until my body contains it all.

All the stars, the seas,

and the long stretching land –

nothing remains apart.

The night air,

with all its dark and lofty secrets,

with all its heady magic,

makes this be.

1996

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Surrender

I gaze into soft brown eyes that smile

as warm hands hold me, melt me.

Slowly ... slowly the clothing falls away

and I am left exposed – delighting in

           my nakedness, in the desire in

           your eyes.

Your kisses reach inside me; touch me

            in wonderful places; soft, quiet

            places of my soul.

Your gentle hands stroke my face, cradle

            my face ...

And my body opens to you, ready and longing

            for your touch.

And you fulfill me – as I gaze into your eyes.

It is you:  your hands; your tongue; your presence –

That bring me to such heights –

             to such delights.

1980

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter