Winter Mice

Aside from reading about Occupy from my massive desk at work with a view of the cardinals in trees outside (calm down, I work for a non-profit), I do other things. Since it snowed yesterday in mountains across the globe I'll share a true snowy little tale from two winters ago:

...................

The other day we trapped little mice in our cabinets and then set them free outside in the snow. They were scared. The first one immediately jumped and sunk deep into the snow. Gone. The other didn't want to leave the trap. She sat there huddled against the walls, clinging to the metal, refusing to jump. You shook the cage until she fell. When she did she ran straight for the road. Then the bridge. You chased her back to safety. You are lovely that way. I wanted to keep them as pets until the Spring so that they would be warm when we freed them. You laughed, but I was serious. I fed them crackers. The second one ran right underneath my foot and I thought for sure she knew that I wanted to pick her up and put her in my warm pocket. She found some exposed dead grass instead. I imagine her to be happy.

Today we trapped little mice in our cabinets again. I set them free while you were gone. I opened the hatch and looked at them. They looked at me. Their whiskers shook like fragile twigs. Scared. They don't realize that I was the one putting the crumbs of pop-tarts in the cage. One jumped. The other jumped. They explored the wooden platforms stacked in our yard and the planting pots with no plants. Later, I saw one dead on the futon outside. Her fur was wet and looked as though she were a baby kitten licked by her mom. On a warm sunny day I might have mistaken her to be basking in the sun after a swim in the pond. But it was snowing outside and tonight when I looked again she was either covered up with a blanket of snow or taken away. Eaten. I imagine her to be happy too.

....................

Eat warm spicy foods 

and drink wine

and be merry to avoid the winter blues.