#TheWildness. Day 4. Write a short story about a magical encounter with a wild animal in your backyard? Please join Jane Dougherty, Misky and me in celebrating wildness all this month. I tried to get permission from the Wildlife Trust to use their #3ODaysWild as prompts but it was not forthcoming, so here are my own prompts with a little help from chatgbt. I will feature your draft published/unpublished poetry/short prose/artworks using the following prompts. Please include a short third person bio. Numbers refer to dates in June: Day 1. Describe the sounds you hear when you step outside your home. How does nature contribute to this musical work? 2. Write a letter to a tree or plant that you encounter on your daily walk. What would you say to it? 3. Imagine you could transform into any animal for a day. Which animal would you choose and why? 4. Write a short story about a magical encounter with a wild animal in your backyard. 5. Describe a peaceful moment spent observing a body of water. What emotions does it evoke in you? 6. Write a poem inspired by the vibrant colours and patterns of a butterfly’s wings. 7. Imagine you are a wildlife photographer. Describe the most breathtaking picture you have taken during your challenge. 8. Write about a favourite childhood memory spent in nature. How did it shape your connection with the natural world? 9. Create a dialogue between two different species of birds perched on a branch. What would they talk about? 10. Describe the texture and scent of wildflowers you encounter on your nature walks. How do they make you feel? 11. Write a persuasive essay on the importance of conserving and protecting local wildlife habitats. 12. Imagine you are a nature guide. Describe a walk you would take visitors on to showcase the beauty and diversity of your local environment. 13. Write a poem about the changing seasons and how they affect the behaviour of wildlife. 14. Imagine you are a detective investigating the disappearance of a rare animal. Describe your search for clues in the natural world. 15. Write a poem/flash fiction about a mischievous squirrel that causes chaos in your garden. 16. Describe a special moment when you felt truly connected to nature. What did it teach you about yourself and the world around you? 17. Write a letter to future generations, urging them to protect and cherish the natural world. 18. Create a detailed observation log of a specific species of bird that you have been monitoring throughout the challenge. 19. Write a poem inspired by the soothing sounds of a flowing stream or river. 20. Imagine you are a nature-inspired artist. Describe the masterpiece you would create using materials found in the great outdoors. 21. Write a short story about a group of friends who embark on an unforgettable camping trip in the wilderness. 22. Describe the most fascinating insect you have encountered during your challenge. What makes it unique? 23. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a tree, chronicling its experiences and the changes it witnesses over the course of a year. 24. Imagine you could communicate with one animal species. Which species would you choose and what would you ask them? 25. Describe a magical sunrise or sunset you have witnessed during your journey. How did it make you feel? 26. Write a letter to a future self, reflecting on the impact of the challenge on your relationship with nature. 27. Imagine you are a character in a wildlife-themed adventure novel. Describe the perilous situation you find yourself in and how you escape. 28. Write a poem celebrating the diversity and resilience of nature, even in the face of human challenges. 29. Describe the feeling of walking barefoot on cool, damp grass. How does it connect you to the Earth? 30. Write a short story about a hidden, enchanted forest where magical creatures dwell. What adventures await those who discover it? Feel free to adapt these prompts to suit your writing style or preferences

/ The Wombwell Rainbow

Discreet encounters

When first we came to this house, it was wild. Wilder than now. The old one who had hung on here alone after the old man died was put in a home, and the house had been empty. Always peaceful, the meadows were unvisited by humankind for years, and badgers, deer, martens, hares, owls and foxes with nothing to fear had sidled up to, or sidled into the house. Those first seasons, I don’t know how many times I blundered across animals I didn’t even recognise. Later, they grew wary and once again kept their distance.

The first to leave were the owls in the attic. Then the hare that left her young ones by the house moved them out into the meadow. I trod on one in the long grass under the study window. The scream of a hare is a pitiful sound. A marten hunting by the hedge, I mistook for a cat. The martens knew me though. Evenings, we’d meet badgers using the driveway as an easy route through the meadow. Until I took a torch with me, I thought they must be stray dogs. Who knew badgers had tails? They use another route these days.

But the foxes still come up to the house. They still sit waiting to see if there’ll be food scraps put out, just beyond the light from the windows. Sometimes we hear the squabbles, the chatter of a marten, the high-pitched squeal of a hedgehog, the roar of a badger. It’s enough to know they are still there, and if they keep a discreet distance from us, we have only ourselves to blame.

Jane Dougherty

Bios and Links

Jane Dougherty

lives and works in southwest France. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her poems and stories have been published in magazines and journals including Ogham Stone, the Ekphrastic Review, Black Bough Poetry, ink sweat and tears, Gleam, Nightingale & Sparrow, Green Ink and Brilliant Flash Fiction. She blogs at https://janedougherty.wordpress.com/ Her poetry chapbooks, thicker than water and birds and other feathers were published in October and November 2020.

2 thoughts on “#TheWildness. Day 4. Write a short story about a magical encounter with a wild animal in your backyard? Please join Jane Dougherty, Misky and me in celebrating wildness all this month. I tried to get permission from the Wildlife Trust to use their #3ODaysWild as prompts but it was not forthcoming, so here are my own prompts with a little help from chatgbt. I will feature your draft published/unpublished poetry/short prose/artworks using the following prompts. Please include a short third person bio. Numbers refer to dates in June: Day 1. Describe the sounds you hear when you step outside your home. How does nature contribute to this musical work? 2. Write a letter to a tree or plant that you encounter on your daily walk. What would you say to it? 3. Imagine you could transform into any animal for a day. Which animal would you choose and why? 4. Write a short story about a magical encounter with a wild animal in your backyard. 5. Describe a peaceful moment spent observing a body of water. What emotions does it evoke in you? 6. Write a poem inspired by the vibrant colours and patterns of a butterfly’s wings. 7. Imagine you are a wildlife photographer. Describe the most breathtaking picture you have taken during your challenge. 8. Write about a favourite childhood memory spent in nature. How did it shape your connection with the natural world? 9. Create a dialogue between two different species of birds perched on a branch. What would they talk about? 10. Describe the texture and scent of wildflowers you encounter on your nature walks. How do they make you feel? 11. Write a persuasive essay on the importance of conserving and protecting local wildlife habitats. 12. Imagine you are a nature guide. Describe a walk you would take visitors on to showcase the beauty and diversity of your local environment. 13. Write a poem about the changing seasons and how they affect the behaviour of wildlife. 14. Imagine you are a detective investigating the disappearance of a rare animal. Describe your search for clues in the natural world. 15. Write a poem/flash fiction about a mischievous squirrel that causes chaos in your garden. 16. Describe a special moment when you felt truly connected to nature. What did it teach you about yourself and the world around you? 17. Write a letter to future generations, urging them to protect and cherish the natural world. 18. Create a detailed observation log of a specific species of bird that you have been monitoring throughout the challenge. 19. Write a poem inspired by the soothing sounds of a flowing stream or river. 20. Imagine you are a nature-inspired artist. Describe the masterpiece you would create using materials found in the great outdoors. 21. Write a short story about a group of friends who embark on an unforgettable camping trip in the wilderness. 22. Describe the most fascinating insect you have encountered during your challenge. What makes it unique? 23. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a tree, chronicling its experiences and the changes it witnesses over the course of a year. 24. Imagine you could communicate with one animal species. Which species would you choose and what would you ask them? 25. Describe a magical sunrise or sunset you have witnessed during your journey. How did it make you feel? 26. Write a letter to a future self, reflecting on the impact of the challenge on your relationship with nature. 27. Imagine you are a character in a wildlife-themed adventure novel. Describe the perilous situation you find yourself in and how you escape. 28. Write a poem celebrating the diversity and resilience of nature, even in the face of human challenges. 29. Describe the feeling of walking barefoot on cool, damp grass. How does it connect you to the Earth? 30. Write a short story about a hidden, enchanted forest where magical creatures dwell. What adventures await those who discover it? Feel free to adapt these prompts to suit your writing style or preferences”

  1. Loved it.
    This is what I think of it
    Beautifully written! Your descriptions of the wild animals and their encounters with the house are both charming and poignant.
    Ely

    Reply

  2. Pingback: 4 June: Her Dog #thewildness – It's Still Life

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