July 1st, 2025Ode to a Bat

Twinkle twinkle little bat.
Why were you designed like that?

Face of fox but wings of bird
seems impossibly absurd.

Yet you do such wondrous things,
oh flying fox with magic wings.

I hear you long ago evolved
from walking mammal – problem solved.

And birds ate so much food all day
you had to hunt a different way.

You grew fine wings, now fly by night.
Nectar, fruits, are your delight.

You spit out fibre, seeds and pips
and plants are sown. New Eucalypts!

Your sight at night is extra good,
enabling you to locate food.

And with your super, sniffy nose,
you’re never hungry I suppose.

Your fur holds pollen, perfectly
and carries it from tree to tree

which helps new life to germinate
on hunting missions. Silent – late!

Nocturnal, flitting. Batmobile.
Incredible! Yet you’re for real.

• Alison Pithers

Alison’s love of rhyme began with Rupert Bear annuals in England. More recently she has found inspiration in walking around Clunes and Creswick, where her ‘rhyming motor’ switches on automatically.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters.
Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com