Frightened Little One

 "Let man have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth."
                                   Genesis 1:26

"I had to get her away from him
Before he killed her,"
His live-in whispered apologetically
As she handed the squirming little cat
With the black and white face,
Long, matted black hair,
Four white boots
And a crushed front paw
To Sandy at the Animal Shelter.

"How did this happen?" Sandy angrily demanded..

"Please...I don't want any trouble,"
The heavy brunette begged,
Her lined face and tired eyes
Betraying her own despair.
She knew what it was like to be hurt,
To be trapped in a relationship,
To live in fear
Like the little cat that she had just rescued.

"Just find her a good home," she pleaded.

Nancy and I saw two wide frightened eyes
As we peered into the cat carrier.
"Betty" was huddled at the rear of it.

Frightened little one,
Your first instinct has always been to run,
To dodge the hurt,
To flee from the pain,
To find that hiding place
Where you will be safe.

Cruelty is encountered in life
Far more often than kindness.
Love is far rarer than hate.

Trust, like religious faith
Is hard to recover
Once you've lost it.

You've adapted though.
You've learned to move on three legs,
Carrying your injured paw curled inward
Like an indictment of mankind.
Although you've come to trust us,
A stranger in the house,
A dropped pan,
A thunderclap
Or that evil vacuum
Will send you scurrying downstairs
To the safety of a hiding place.

Your first instinct will always be to run,
To dodge the hurt,
To flee from the pain.

I recently read of mountains wrapped in mist
Deep in the New Guinea wild
Surrounded by almost impenetrable jungle.
Deep within their mystery
Scientists discovered
Previously unknown species of monkeys,
Birds of Paradise, bower birds
And ring-tailed kangaroos.
The creatures were so trusting
That a man could approach one slowly
And gently pick it up.

They've yet to experience the cruelty of man.
They'll soon learn reasons to fear him.