First Hunt
Little bat’s heart
pumps, her wings bump
packed pups rustling hungry
around her, all clutching cave wall. She
knows: don’t fall, don’t let go,
beetles wait below! But
the colony
hunts—
She drops,
flaps, swoops out, up,
into the rushing sky river, dodges
fledgling cousins, bounces her chirps
off juicy moths. She, little heart
of night, dives to dine. She
could fly forever.
pumps, her wings bump
packed pups rustling hungry
around her, all clutching cave wall. She
knows: don’t fall, don’t let go,
beetles wait below! But
the colony
hunts—
She drops,
flaps, swoops out, up,
into the rushing sky river, dodges
fledgling cousins, bounces her chirps
off juicy moths. She, little heart
of night, dives to dine. She
could fly forever.
This poem is copyright (©) Elizabeth Kuelbs 2024
About the Writer
Elizabeth Kuelbs
Elizabeth writes for children and adults. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and you can find her work for young readers in Spider, Cricket, the Caterpillar and elsewhere. Visit her online at elizabethkuelbs.com