muskrat envy

muskrat envy

[p]ride, covetousness, lust,
anger, gluttony, envy and sloth ...
are the seven capital sins.

---Catechism of Christian
Doctrine for General Use

I watch dear muskrat ply
the rivered stream,

and then its burbled rill,
at swim---such muskrat play.

I wax now envied to the gill ...
ah so! I can but dream

if only---if only!---I
could swim that way;

but oh alas! I can't---
cannot!---compete,

I disenchant:

it seems I hold the will,
but I own webless feet

— barbsdad2003, Jun 04, 2008

About the Author

Country/Region: USA

Critiques

Barbara Writes

18 years ago

Muskrat envy

Smiles:) Barbara The way you beautifully expressed your envy here, ahh to swim like a muskrat would be nice. So glad your poem is short as I had to look up many words just to get the awesome feel of swimming like the muskrat. If it was long I would have tired out and not experience such a special moment. Great write.

barbsdad2003

18 years ago

Thanx

I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. I watched a beaver at play/work in the stream at the edge of my backyard this morning. And then, wouldn't you know it, just below and in front of me up popped a happy cheerful swimming muskrat, which prompted this piece. Yours, Chuck PS: To my knowledge, neither of them saw me. Which was just fine by me.

Barbara Writes

18 years ago

You are welcome

Smiles:) Barbara I have many beautiful moment like that when nature inspired me to write about its natural beauty. Not as good as getting it on paper as you and the other great writers here. As normal for me things click into place when I least expect and then there it is I can do it. Until then enjoying the experience I am getting here. After this I may write to my surprise soon. It has happen before with the Haiku.

infinite_dwarf

18 years ago

Chuck

Such agile creatures, aren't they? Nice how you can just sit there, and write about something as simple (yet beautiful) as the swimming of a muskrat. Nice job, friend! ~Jess K. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson ~ "Tonight's forcast: dark, continued dark tonight, turning to partly light in the morning..." - George Carlin

weirdelf

18 years ago

I don't even know what a muskrat is,

but nonetheless got a smile. I should be interested , not in seeing you damned, but in what may provoke the other six. cheers, Jess

barbsdad2003

18 years ago

To be glaringly honest ...

I've lived now long enough to experience the "other six" in spades. They've all enriched my life and have helped to make me the character that I am---I say, quite shamefully, without feeling appropriate shame. Thanx, Jess, Chuck

Join Neopoet to leave a critique

Neopoet is a free community of poets who critique and support each other's writing.

Join free Log in