Sonnet 51: The Hedgehog And Caterpillar

When all the birds are asleep in the trees And the earth cooled from the heat of the day And the chilly night broken by a breeze The prickly hedgehog comes out to play. Silently stirring from its daytime sleep It wanders slowly through gardens and parks Far away from its home in the compost heap Ears pricked, nose twitching it stands still and harks. Caterpillars asleep dreaming on the leaf Hanging in the night airs a ghostly white Do not hear the prickly lowly thief Creep up and take them in the dead of night. Caterpillars do not get a good deal When the hedgehog’s seeking a tasty meal.