Society associates ranchers with handling large animals such as horses,
cows, and sheep.   The main critters a rancher has to deal with are rodents.

Meadow Mouse's Stomp

They say a mouse can find a hole
no bigger than your thumb.
And they can crawl through skinny cracks
for just a tiny crumb.

That must be how the find their way
into my house each fall.
So I set traps and poison out
to stop that vermin crawl.

Now labor'tory mice are fine.
They don't spread germs and fleas.
And usually they‘re all encaged
behind strong locks and keys.

But when I go down to the shop
to get a can of grain,
when'er I open up the lid,
I swear I'll go insane.

A blur of motion past my hand,
I jerk it back up quick.
Six beady eyes stare up at me,
grain bellies full and thick.

I go into the saddle room
to bring a halter out.
Destructive critters nearly chewed
through rope that once was stout.

The bulk dog-food in paper sacks
is stacked down in the barn.
There's water stains from meadow mice
that cause disease and harm.

The fencin' truck, parked in the shop,
all winter sat at rest.
Right beside the carburetor,
they built a mouse's nest.

At camp, they climb up through the walls.
They keep me up at night.
Will they eventually get through
to where I view starlight?

The tractor's ‘lectric wires are bare.
The insulations gone.
The padding from the seat's ripped out.
The battle lines are drawn.

The hay bale on the bottom row
I had to feed today.
A condominium for mice
beneath that hay stack lay.

I was wishing the Pied Piper
would wander down my road,
to gather all these rodents up
and take from my abode.

I called the barn cats to my side.
I called the ranch dogs, too.
I began the Meadow Mouse's Stomp
to rid that motley crew.

It's not a pretty dance to watch.
Your feet step high and fast.
But there's no way to get them all.
There's some that do get past.

They quickly multiply like flies.
Their numbers don't abate.
If you want to be a rancher,
  then mice will be your fate.

But I will gladly help you out
while mice do freely romp.
I'll give you some short lessons on:
the Meadow Mouse's Stomp.

©2007 Terry Henderson