The other day, a good friend of mine asked what could be making dime-sized holes in her back yard. She lives in a neighborhood full of stately old oak trees. Taking pride in her yard and flower beds, she was not pleased to see tiny holes appearing here and there. Although I had a good idea of the culprits, I did some checking to be sure.
There are any number of small animals that create holes, tunnels, and burrows underground. And as they do, others take advantage of that - having witnessed a small blacksnake emerge like a growing plant out of a hole near my shed. (It was clear that whoever inhabited the hole previously had been brunch.) Back to my urban friend, chipmunks are the most likely critter, especially given the canopy of oak trees. Chipmunks love acorns, which fit perfectly in their cheeks. Anything “birdseed” is fair game as well. Chipmunks are active during the day and need about 15 hours of sleep. To my friend’s delight (not really), there are over 25 varieties of chipmunks in North America.
At this point, I’m betting you’re waiting to see how I’m going to connect chipmunks to writing. One way, of course, is that given their “cute factor” (see this blog post), they frequently appear in children’s literature. But, here’s my take – consider things in your life that exemplify opposites - something that captures your heart and is at the same time irritating. (Try for something other than your spouse, partner, kids, or pets.) Then dig in search of that kernel of truth where one realizes the whole of that thing cannot exist without both the joyful and irritating. And, that the tension between the two is what keeps the whole together. Try exploring this tension in your next poem or drawing. See what recognizing that duality can contribute to your overall creation.
Photo credit: Robert Thiemann
Supporting articles:
10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Chipmunks