For the second day in a row now I've had to deal

With squirrels coming down the chimney to meal

Upon whatever they could get hold of, in their teeth

Giving me just a wee bit more than a little grief ...



Yes, it's that time of year when squirrels start to nest

To prepare for the colder winter months soon to test

Both folks and animals, as we all start getting cosier

Looking for warm resting places, where it's rosier ...



But two days in a row is just a little more than enough

And regardless of how well I deal, I'm not that tough

And today's little adventure did not go quite so well ...

Testing me more than I care to be, and that's not swell

  

This time, the squirrel's scratches and bites shook me up

Prompting me to deal with the chimney right soon enough

Digging through all the layers of twigs, stones and dust ...

Climbing halfway up the chimney, amongst all the rust ...



Finally finding a stone ledge upon which I placed a board ...

Then covering it with fiberglass to fill the jagged edges sawed

Underneath which I jammed a piece of corrugated gutterpipe

To prop up the whole wedge and make sure it stayed tight ...



As I was going through all of these awkward machinations

The computer's screensaver's noises came to my attention

And it occurred to me how similar it was to the chattering 

Employed by squirrels as they go about their nut-gathering



And then I realized it was the screensaver drawing them

For they heard, and sensed there were others at the end ...

Of my chimney flue, nesting here for the long winter ahead

So they wanted to be part of the party the screensaver led ...

 

- Tristram



(c) Christopher W. Thomas

6:30pm Wed. December 2nd, 1998