THE MIRACLES OF CREATION
Part 2
This is the time of year when the woods and meadows are filled the rhytmatic chant of those little black creatures know as Crickets. I could not help but be impressed as I walk by the woods tonite and heard thousands of those little creatures chanting in unison. It is as though so unseen mastro was waving his baton and the choir responded in unison. Monotonous to some, irritating to others, but to me it was, in a sense, the pulse of nature. The rhythm pulsed at about the rate of the average heart beat. It was as though the whole body of nature was alive.
In 1992, I wrote a poem about a Cricket that was in our house and would chant to me
as I worked at my computer. Tonite one of his/her descendant is on the open window
ledge, as I sit at my computer, again chanting: "Find me, Find me, Find me".
Here is the Poem:
THE CRICKET
As it nears one o'clock
in the morning.
Quietness reigns.
Except for the steady hum
of the computer
and the rhythmic "find me - find me-
find me" chirp of a singing cricket.
What is it about these
little black forbears of winter?
That evoke, for some,
grabbing the insect spray can.
While others thrill,
listing to the rhythmic beat,
as hundreds of their kind
sing in unison on a warm fall night.
Who do they think they are
invading the privacy of our homes
with their high shrill voices?
But then again who are we
that we should be mindful
of such a small voice in the night?
Why do we take the time to listen
and comment on their place in space?
For they ask for nothing more
then a warm place to stay
when winter winds blow.
Can we deny them less?
For are we not all
a part of this great
and mysterious Universe.
by Billyphil - 1992
In our last report, I mentioned that we had six to eight Humming Birds feeding from two feeders we had hanging in front of our big picture windows. I also said that this raises an ethical question which had not entered my mind until I wrote the article. "Do we have the right to enslave our own or other species for our gain or pleasure?" These little Hummers of Nature, as lovely and entertaining as it was to watch them feed, fight and frolic, had become sugar water addicts. Spending everyday feeding from those hanging feeders, if left up to late in the fall would mean they would not migrate to their southern homes but freeze to-death in our Wisconsin winter
So we took the sugar feeders down. Some of the little Hummers are still around, feeding on the nectar from our Glads and other flowers. We miss seeing them fun and frolic, but believe this is best for their future welfare. Next year we plan on more flowers for them to feed on making them less dependent on their sugar water addiction..
Our next report will be on an Article entitled SEEDS OF CHANGE, appearing in the
September issue of Consumers Reports on page 41. This is a very forceful article on how
our food supply is being genetically altered and why we should be concerned. Your local
library may have a copy.
For you with Internet accessible computers go to:
Genetic Engineering >http://www.biotech-info.net< click on "Whats
New" for an interesting and challenging article by, Gordon Conway , on the present and future moral responsibilites of
Genetic Engineering