by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Bat in the Afterglow

Photo by McKayla Crump from Unsplash.

Bat in the Afterglow

Last night, we stepped outside

into the gilded light of the sunset’s afterglow.

A bright crescent moon graced the twilight sky.

Beneath it shone the evening star.

Silhoutted against a sky of muted blue,

a bat flew toward the rosy horizon and back again,

looping in circles above the quiet street,

a moment of pure delight right outside our door!

Fruit bat in flight, Maldives. Photo by Ishan seefromthesky from Unsplash.

We’ve never seen a bat on our street before.

Maybe, little bat, you live near one of the canals.

I will be watching for you in the evenings.

A hearty welcome to our street!

Where do you sleep all day, little bat?

Hanging upside down under a dried palm frond?

Rocked to sleep in swaying Spanish moss?

Or do you live in a condo under a canal bridge?

Do you dream of flying, as I often do?

Pleasant dreams, little bat, wherever you are.

I hope to see you again on our street,

dining on mosquitos in the afterglow.

Roosting bat in Denmark. Photo by Nils Bouillard from Unsplash.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

87 Comments

  3. When kiddos were in elementary school, one of their school projects was building a bat house for use in our backyard. Bats are our friends…
    🙂
    I think your poem could be called, “Ode to a Bat” too – nice homage to those creatures, Cheryl.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. Laura, Thank you for sharing your experiences and your thoughts on bats. Very interesting! When I was nine or ten, we had an occasional bat flying around our church during services. Women were terrified that bats would get tangled in their hair and have to be cut out. I caught a bat in a jar and got a very close look before I released it. It didn’t seem so terrifying to me!

      Bats don’t deserve all the negative folklore associated with them. It’s too bad they are threatened in many places by habitat destruction. I applaud your childrens’ teacher for foresight and for protecting bats. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Have a great weekend! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. Hello Cheryl, I am now receiving articles on my notification list, and I adore your gorgeous poem about our wondrous ‘bats’ , which are a world wide phenomenon of nature .. 🌏🌝🦇

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Hello, Ivor! I am glad you are receiving my posts again. I always enjoy hearing from you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on bats. They are very interesting and beneficial animals that are threatened in many places by habitat loss. Australia has some of the world’s most unique and fascinating animals and plants to enjoy and preserve.

      Thank you so much for your kind comment. So glad you enjoyed the poem. Hope you are having a great weekend! ❤

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind comment. Interesting that you think children would like this poem. I am a retired teacher and have published a series of environmentally-themed books of poems about Florida animals for young readers. I would be so pleased if children read this poem. ❤ Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. When a bat is blamed for Covid, this beautiful poem reflects your love for nature and creatures. Of course, bats have their own world, different from other flying creatures, as depicted in your verses. Well penned, Cheryl. Pics chosen are so beautiful ❤️❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. What a lovely and thoughtful response, KK! I am so happy that you enjoyed the post. ❤ Thank you so much.

      Several diseases are reported to have passed from bats to humans. As with mice and rats, who are often used in clinical trials, bats probably have DNA similar to human DNA. If covid did come from bats, the people who held them in captivity in close proximity to the public are responsible for the spread. Bats are beneficial animals that are endangered in many places due to habitat loss. I am delighted to see them dining on our mosquitos!

      Wishing you and yours a great week ahead!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. You’re welcome, Cheryl. I agree that all plants, animals, organisms are parts of the same ecosystem and have their own roles to play. It’s our habit to find some scapegoats in the form of bat etc. As bats and rats are also mammals like humans, they are probably preferred for trial before it is done on humans.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Frank, for sharing your thoughts. I totally agree with you that bats have been misunderstood! I am happy to have bats reducing the mosquito population. So happy to hear the poem made you smile! <3. Hope you are enjoying your weekend! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  14. How lucky you are to have bats nearby, Eugenia! They are endangered in many places due to habitat destruction. I appreciate them for reducing the mosquito population, and I agree with you that they are fascinating! Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments! ❤ ❤ ❤

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    1. Michel, thank you for sharing your experience with bats, and I hope you get to see them again. I surely would welcome them here, especially since there are so many mosquitos and other bugs for them to eat! I am pleased that you enjoyed the poem. Thank you so much for your kind comment and ongoing support. Have a great week!
      Love ❤
      Cheryl

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  20. How ironic, I was just processing some shots of a Bat Falcon I recently photographed on the Texas border and then pop over to see your lovely poem about a related animal (albeit, I am sure bats are not fond of Bat Falcons ha!) I do everything possible to keep the bats happy at home as there isn’t a man made product better at keeping those pesky mosquitos at bay.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Olivia, for your kind response. I also find bats fascinating. Their echolocation abilities are remarkable and were the inspiration for the development of sonar technology. I hope to see more of them here.

      I look forward to more of your beautiful posts. All the best! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  25. In my town there is a very old brick railway tunnel that has not been used for many, many years. Small trees and bushes grew in front of him. However, some time ago it was considered that the railway track should be used again. When the engineers and railway employees looked at the tunnel, they found that it was inhabited by a large number of bats. Since bats are under nature protection here in Germany, the project was not carried out. The bats still feel very comfortable in the old tunnel.
    Cheryl, thank you for this wonderful article and the beautiful pictures! ❤️
    Rosie from Germany 😊💕

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    1. Punam, Thank you so much for your kind words. How educational and beautiful for your children to observe bats so closely! My daughter once watched in great fascination as wasps built a huge nest outside her bedroom window. Animals seem to love her and be drawn to her. When she was about ten, an emu at the zoo once walked all the way across the large enclosure right up to her, ignoring everyone else.

      Thank you Punam for your comment and your support. Wishing happiness and health to you and your family!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. It is indeed wonderful for them! Thank you so much for sharing how animals are drawn to your daughter. They must be sensing her kind heart and goodness.
        You are very welcome. Wishing you all the same. ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your kind response, Chris. I looked up pipistrel and found that it is a new electric airplane. I wondered if the pipistrel you are talking about is a bat and the airplane is named after it. Sure enough! Wikipedia had some lovely photos of the bat. I learned something new because of your delightful comment! Have a great day! ❤ ❤ ❤

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    1. Haha, JoAnna. I like that you encourage the bats to eat bugs! We don’t have street lights here. Not enough houses yet. I hope for more bat visits anyway. I admire bugs, but I don’t have much sympathy for them when they eat my flowers or us humans either! Take care! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  34. This is a well-written poem, Cheryl. I enjoyed reading it and got a feel of your surroundings on a calm night. It is always lovely to have a clear sky and see the moon and even better, the stars. Where I live in Melbourne some evenings we have clear skies and sometimes I can see the moon – stars not so much since it’s a pretty urban area. Hope you get some more friendly visitors on your street soon 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Mabel, for sharing your thoughts. I am happy you enjoyed the poem. I have never visited Australia, but from photos and movies, I know you live in a unique and beautiful country with flora and fauna seen nowhere else. ❤ Have a great day!

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