More from the rabbit nest

The rabbit nest is empty now, a hollow pocket of memory lined with dirty hair and dead grass. Even so, the magic isn’t quite cold. It’s tempting to believe that every half-grown rabbit I see is one of “my” rabbits, to feel a warm connection with these creatures that are born and nursed in plain view, yet also in secrecy.

The Rabbit Nest

Earlier this summer, we found a rabbit nest in our back yard. The baby rabbits survived until old enough to leave their nest, but one was lost to a hawk within days of emergence.

I had been mesmerized by the rabbits’ secret nest, and I mourned the lost baby with helpless tears. I mourned, even though I understand and accept the necessary balance between rabbits and hawks, the fierce and inescapable truth that binds life to life.