by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Two Armadillo Poems: Armadillo Neighbors/ Armadillo Territory

Photo by Victor Miyata from Pexels

Armadillo Neighbors

We lived near the beach

with armadillo neighbors

…not too neighborly!

At night, they dug grubs,

leaving holes and piles of poop…

We never saw them!

We filled holes, scooped scat.

They gnawed watermelon rinds

we left out to dry.

One evening at dusk,

I saw two dark shapes walking

along the hedgerow.

As I got closer,

I saw they were not raccoons…

Yes, armadillos!

They scooped out a den,

lived under our shed, eating

watermelon rinds.

One day they were gone.

We never met their children…

There were no goodbyes!

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

Armadillo Territory

Photo by Skeeze from Pixabay

Armadillo Territory

Our new neighborhood

is wooded…armadillo

home territory!

Out walking one day,

I met three armadillos

digging up breakfast.

They were cute, half-grown.

I stood there chatting with them…

They never looked up.

Recently, I saw

an armadillo stroll by,

armor slick with rain.

Undisturbed, he walked

along the edge of our yard

and into the woods.

One day I followed

a busy armadillo

all around our yard.

She went on eating,

politely ignoring me,

as she fed on ants.

She did not fear me…

No one shoots armadillos

around here, I guess!

That night and the next,

the armadillo dug dens

and abandoned them.

Armadillo’s gone!

House hunting in the woods?

We said no goodbyes…

An armadillo digs its way

into your heart.

Maybe she’ll be back!

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

68 Comments

    1. Thank you, Ashok, for your lovely comment. ❤ I may be one of the few people who welcomes a yard full of holes. 🙂 In my defense, they do eat fire ants. We were hoping she/he would move in and we could watch the little armadillos grow up. Crazy, huh!? All the best.

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    2. Kate, You piqued my curiosity about wombats! I looked them up on Wikipedia. What interesting animals! The only marsupial in North America is the possum. What these three animals seem to have in common is that they are so ugly, they are cute! ❤ Thank you for calling my attention to wombats! I think they are a lot more cuddly than armadillos but equally interesting. 🙂

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      1. they look cuddly but remain aloof 🙂

        possums are another story, we have plagues of them here yet they are cheeky beggars keen to interact if we offer food 🙂

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    1. Thank you, thewheelchairteen, for your kind and thoughtful comment. ❤ Yesterday I found a metaphor in one of Deb's poems. It fit, but it was not intended. I thought the fan was a metaphor for people, but Deb was just writing about an old fan that needed repair.

      I think it is interesting that you see a metaphor in these poems. I am an animal lover writing about my real-life experiences with armadillos. No metaphor is intended, but I would be very interested to know your interpretation and what metaphors you see. 🙂 Have a great week!

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      1. Oh! I thought that the armadillo neighbours were referring to real life neighbours who were annoying you by making a lot of noise, stealing things from your garden, and not being very social because they never introduced themselves or their children, and you never saw them. Then one day, without saying goodbye, they suddenly left and left a mess behind.

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    2. Thank you, thewheelchairteen, for replying to my question. That certainly would be a logical conclusion to draw! I read your interpretation with great interest. I think poems lend themselves to many different responses, and I really appreciated you for sharing yours. ❤

      Armadillos are safe from most predators because of their armor, so they are not afraid in their natural environment. Because they are not afraid, they are often hit by cars. Here, there are mostly empty wooded lots, and armadillos seem unafraid.

      In our old neighborhood, people disliked armadillos for tearing up their lawns. There was a rumor that one neighbor was shooting them. I think those armadillos had learned fear because of man. When our resident armadillos disappeared, it may be that they were shot. I hope not!

      I hope you are having a great week! ❤

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    1. Thank you, Radhika, for your kind comments. ❤ I later wished I had my camera when I was following the armadillo around the yard. I ended up using stock photos. Probably just as well. I don't have your photographic skill. 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed the poems. All the best in your week as well!

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    1. Thank you, Offshorewriter! I would really like it if a couple of armadillos settled here and we could watch them raise a family. Our yard would probably be covered with holes, but it would be worth it to me! 🙂 Thank you for your kind comments and good wishes. Hope you have a great week! ❤

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  14. Oh! They look so cute, can these ever be bad neighbours 😊 I would love to have one as pet, in return it can eat all the ants that have been messing with my plants.
    I have instead big field rats who dig the mud of my plants and poop around, and are not even attractive.

    Lovely poems Cheryl, you have seen such great wildlife around you 🙂

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    1. Deb,you always make me laugh! 🙂 The field rats sound like a pain! We have fire ants that have painful stings. We kill them by pouring a boric acid/sugar solution on their mounds. Terro baits might solve your ant problem. We try to avoid toxic chemicals.

      Thank you so much for your support. ❤ Wildlife brings great joy to my life! I am so glad you liked the poems. Have a great week!

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  16. Oh I love these poems Cheyrl with such sweetness and appreciation of the Armadillos. Maybe we could train them in our homes when we get ants. A welcome encounter rather than that of a raccoon who love a fight for food. Even tried to get Hunter but luckily we stopped the attack. I hope they didn’t get shot and will be back. Now the cats are bringing in all sorts of treats.. YIKES!!! ❤️ Cindy

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    1. Cindy, take a deep breath and remember that these are tokens of love from your cats! I hope they are leaving them on the doorstep as our cat used to do and not bring them into the house!!! 🙂 I hope your dog is OK. Raccoons are frightening when they behave aggressively…can be a sign of rabies.

      Thank you for your kind comments about my poems. Very much appreciated. ❤ have a great week!

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  17. Oh I adore how you put this interesting and sweet experience and encounter that you had with these armadillos into poetry! Maybe they’ll return soon, I’ll be looking forward to a poetic reunion haha. Hope you are doing well, Cheryl ❤️❤️

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    1. Thank you so much, Punam, for your kind words and good wishes. ❤ Robert, my significant other, commented that the poems made him wish for holes in his yard. So I guess they could safely move in! 🙂 Thank you again for reading and commenting. Have a great day!

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    1. Thank you, Bacardi Gold, for your kind comments. ❤ I am not sure if armadillos use holes they find. In my experience, they dig many holes until they find one that suits them. Yes, they look like armed warriors to me too. Their armor protects them from predators. 🙂 Have a great day!

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    1. Armadillos are very interesting, but most people don’t want them around because they constantly dig up the yard. That is especially true if you don’t use pesticides on your lawn and they can find grubs to eat. I like the fact that they like ants, even fire ants! I always liked having them around. 🙂 I hope you are doing well, Hamish!

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