Rachel Oliver

Rachel Oliver lives full-time in a semi-wilderness, granite-studded space in the Sierra foothills where she is surrounded by wildlife. They often come to visit, and though she has had close-up adventures with exotic animals on most continents, she treasures her backyard experiences.

One morning she was awe-struck by a large dark king snake, his body ringed with eggshell stripes, which flowed within two inches of her feet as she enjoyed her morning tea on the stoop. He had his eye on a small frog which disappeared when Rachel reached for her camera. She has often been visited by a handsome roadrunner which knocks loudly on the glass doors to spar with his reflection. Raccoons and skunks have tripped over Rachel's feet while she sat outside on the pool deck. She was surprised one morning by a pair of bobcats--one glorious shades of gray, the other rich shades of brown--which sauntered by the bedroom's French doors.

In case the reader is not aware of this fact, bobcats are more conceited than the human voted sexiest in the world and whose photo appears on a magazine cover.

FELINE CHUTZPAH

Confident as cats can be

When certain that they own the world

Burly Bobcat with striped grace

Swaggers by on lanky legs

Epitomizing balance

Fluidity in movement

Not one hair pokes out of place

How often has he watched me

Plomping along the path

Puffing stumbling

Insecure grumbling

Writing mental grocery lists

Hashing family peccadilloes

Unaware of his evaluation?

He pauses seems to muse

'There, but for some kindly grace, go I...'

He slips forward on the path

Composure betrayed by whiskers

Somewhat a-twitch

I step aside to let him pass

If only I could be like that

Rachel Oliver