Dead magpie

This evening as I was walking downtown to get something to eat I came across a dead magpie lying on the sidewalk.  I stopped walking and observed for a moment in silence.  I decided that it ought to have a better resting place.  Near to me was an old and torn piece of paper that had been stapled to a wooden post.  It was no longer useful as an advertisement and I needed something to pick the bird up with, so I ripped the paper off the post and used it to wrap the bird.

I walked for a ways, pondering on what might be an appropriate site.  I didn't think about it much and just allowed myself to become drawn to whatever location happened to stand out.  Eventually I came across a tall pine with low lying branches.  This would offer adequate protection from most human activities.

I picked 3 dandelion blossoms, which were on the path to the tree.  I laid the bird down near a rock beneath the pine, and left the blossoms as an offering of peace.

Then I went on my way, towards Main street.  On the way, I came across a small burrowing mammal that appeared to be having seizures in the middle of a lane in a road.  I love these little critters - they are very cute  like a small cross between a prairie dog and squirrel or something of that nature.

I was a bit agitated because I didn't think I could do much for this one.  It seemed to have been struck by a vehicle and was probably better left dead than maimed.  I left it in the road and kept walking.  Some cars continued to pass by me.

I began to reconsider my decision to leave the mammal a few moments after I had walked past it, thinking that I could move it out of the road.  I turned back to look.  It was no longer moving.  A magpie was pecking at its limp body.