The Captive Hare

He had that look the frightened look of fear
I could swear his wild brown eyes were full of tears
He had that mournful look about the eye
Like human soul who'd been condemned to die.

Last night the caged in prisoner lived free
And ate sweet grasses in an upland lea
Last night the wild born brown hare ate his fill
In the green meadow by the heather hill.

Last night October wind soughed in the trees
And he was free and happy and at ease
And cloak of night offered security
To inoffensive creature such as he.

He felt so happy there in upland field
With darkness as an ally and a shield
A blindfold against eyes of enemy
Man and man's dog and fox the killer three.

But then suddenly a spot light pierced the gloom of night
And lit up the meadow made the meadow bright
And the alarmed hare looked twice his natural height
As he stood on hind legs and gazed towards the light.

And then as frightened hares do he crouched low midst the grass
And hid himself hoping danger would pass
But the poacher of his presence was aware
And he knew exactly where to find the hare.

As the light drew near from hiding he did race
And the poacher's dog was quick to give him chase
He ran a straight line towards the meadow gate
Where another poacher by hare net did wait.

And then he found himself entangled in the net
That the poachers for to capture him had set
And he felt the power of man the human clasp
As strong human hands of his long ears took grasp.

And then the shocked wild born creature scared and shy
Uttered forth his sharp heart rending cry
As from his captor's hands he tried to struggle free
But the powerful poacher held him steadfastly.

His captors placed him in a brown cord sack
The type men use to hold coal and coal slack
And at his prison sack the hare did claw and scrape
But he could not claw free and make good his escape.

The poachers carried their prisoner home with them
And from the sack transferred him to a cage like pen
A strongly framed cage wrapped round with cage wire
In poachers back yard in a disused byre.

Last night for the first time in his life
He heard rats noise the sound of rat was rife
He could hear the bickering brown rats squeak and brawl
From his prison cage beside the damp byre wall.

His little hare teeth bit at the strong cage wire
To escape to freedom his burning desire
To escape from man made cage his prison cell
And flee the draughty byre a rodent hell.

He scrope at the cage floor with little hare paws
Tore at the boards and used his teeth and claws
He tried his best his freedom for to gain
But his work proved futile and his effort in vain.

From prison cage he saw the light of day
As into the byre crept dawn's awakening ray
And outside the byre on creaky wind blown tree
A robin piped a brief sweet melody.

Another hour went by and then three humans came
And again the fear in his wild heart took flame
The poachers had with them a man who'd come to buy
And the captive hare had been condemned to die.

He now belong to cruel heart doggy man
Who put him in box in front seat of motor van
And he paid the poachers for the hare twenty quid
A tenner each they shared the purchase bid.

The hare next found himself in greyhound run
And near by stood the greyhound owner's son
With hounds on leash a fawn and a white and black
Two young dogs they were blooding for the track.

The greyhound owner tied hay bale twine to earth bound wooden peg
And fastened the twine end to the hare's right hind leg
And then from his box he let the hare run free
And he raced for freedom from captivity.

But in his right hind leg the hare felt stinging pain
As against the twine that held him he did strain
And the doggy men unmoved by cruelty
Found pleasure in the creature's agony.

The yapping hounds in anticipation of blood spill
Strained on their leashes anxious for the kill
And the trembling hare glanced up at gnashing teeth
Sharp and white from chewing at bones and meat.

The young man unleashed the hounds and the snarling dogs raced in
And grabbed the hare playing tug of war with him
And his painful dying cries sounded loud and shrill
The creature from the field beside the hill.