Dating : Babies

Found an abandoned baby duck.

Taking my walk today
and found a bad display
in the swimming pool.

Baby was stuck
and couldn’t get out
swimming and swimming all morning.

He was only about three weeks old.

I scooped it out
and put him down
but he was too cold to walk.

Picked up again and nestled in my hand
against my heart.

I felt the fear and how cold he was
kept him close.

He had no down feathers yet to keep dry.
He was still spry, breathing and warm.

I walked around to find his family as I knew
who he belonged with.

Could not find them so I took him home and put
him in a basket with towels and a lamp for warmth.

He stayed there for awhile and got warm and recovered.

I tried to feed him sugar water and oatmeal soaked in it
but he would not take it.

I kept checking on him and he kept trying to escape, but
couldn’t fit through the openings of the basket.

He laid down again and I tried to get more water off his tail.

Still wet.

He was so cute and I had to, I named him Sully, because
he was so strong and kept himself afloat.

I let him rest some more and dry out.

Suddenly there was so much peeping. He was saying thanks,
but it’s time to go. I have to find my Mom.

My son and I took him back to the area I thought his family would be.
They were near a tree. When he saw them he almost jumped from my hands onto the concrete, but I caught him.

Lowered him to the ground, peeping away joining his family again.
Mom was happy as she gave me a look and a nod.
Babies were happy as they got their brother back. They ran off to play.
It was very exciting and inviting.

Being me I had a hard time letting go and letting nature take its course.

I will be checking the pool more often so that doesn’t happen again.

Maybe we all had a lesson in life today.

Love is all around us.

Jo Ann Harris is an author, parent, book devotee, writer, copywriter, and film fanatic. She is an autodidactic that learns about everything and rows her own boat. She grew up and worked in Atlanta, Georgia and lived there for more than sixty years. She writes articles about love, hope, personal life stories, and poems. She had a story published in Woman’s World magazine in 2017. You can read more of her work in her publication on Medium named Poems From The Heart by Jo Ann.