not nearly enough

i have been lulled by the serene,
by cloud dappled cerulean, and green
by the scent of honeysuckle, fresh
cut blades of grass, by rose petals 
stretched open wide, drenched in dew
by birdsong at dawn, crickets and
peepers at dusk, the sun and the moon
chasing each other day to night, 
the stars granting wishes
before fading from sight…she is 
a beguiling mistress, nature,
it’s easy to forget she has a dark 
side; a cycle of life, daunting 
for those low on the food chain… 
usually efficient, she sends  
the buzzards to remove remnants 
of untimely death from the forest floor
usually, but not today as i happened 
upon a tiny shank of fresh meat, 
fur still clinging to exposed bone, 
undeniably of rabbit, nestled 
in pressed down clover, beautiful 
green, the sun shining, a soft,
fragrant breeze rustling the leaves
and all i could think was how grateful 
i was not to have witnessed 
the brutal carnage that happened 
here under the trees, my heart 
breaking for that poor creature,
emotions flooding my soul, heart
breaking for all manner of suffering
as the world grows darker by the day
remnants of untimely carnage left
in the open forcing us to see, no 
longer kept hidden behind closed 
doors or in the shadows, life is not 
all rainbows and butterflies
and there are not enough buzzards,
what magnificent creatures they are, 
to sweep away the bloody mess 
we’ve made of things, not nearly enough

~kat