she disappeared a few weeks ago:
"The cats did get her while she was laying."
Then she appeared one day at the doorstep,
puffed up and quick-step clucky
growling at the roosters' enthusiastic welcome.
She was happy to be scooped up,
but there was only one thing on her mind
Food!
She frantically gobbled the bowl of offerings on the kitchen floor
then fussed straight back -
to the nest!
Yes, Ari followed her and found a clutch of eggs -18!
tucked in the garden under our bedroom window.
Over the next couple of weeks
Matti made a fortress of branches around her,
"so the cats can't get in, but see the little doorway I made for her?"
and every couple of days
she'd appear at the door
gobble frantically
then back on duty within 15 minutes.
One day she appeared later than usual
and peeping could be heard;
two wee chicks huddled under the daffodils.
We checked the nest,
the eggs were cold.
Were they explosive or full?
Gingerly we tucked them in some hay,
ousting the guineapigs,
to shut her in their hutch for the night.
The following morning
Ari delicately woke us with another wee peeper,
so new it was happy to sit on my chest and peck at the blanket.
"Another egg is cracking"
"We can hear peeping in the eggs!"
"She's showing the bigger ones how to drink water"
"We have five now!"
"We've shut her back in the hutch cause she won't stay on the eggs"
"Its ok, she's settled back on the nest now."
"I watched one make the final burst out!"
The next door neighbour's toddler girls
had to be invited over to share in the excitement.
so profound.
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