“The Bat: Aerial Hawker of The Night” by Amy C. Gladwell
Illustration by Alicia Hayden.
The Bat: Aerial Hawker of The Night
As dusk draws in
closer and closer,
He will promptly emerge
From his daytime slumber.
A tiny cloaked figure,
Small as a leaf,
Flitting through their air,
Among tree branches or beneath.
He has awakened but he must move fast
For time is of the essence.
Already the clock is ticking.
You may not notice his presence.
He seeks out street lamps
and other forms of illumination
Where he circles and waits in ambush,
A crafty trap of his own creation.
He is the master of aerodynamics,
The perfect marriage of speed, poise and agility.
But he knows this is not enough.
He will never underestimate how swift his prey can be.
Though he is not blind,
In the pitch black
He uses advanced echolocation
To pinpoint his attack.
He seems effortlessly precise,
As skilled as an archer.
But human noise can affect his strategy.
Now his precision must be sharper.
He carries his entire bodyweight
Between his fingertips,
Upon the extended skin of his paper-thin wings.
He must ensure his great effort is worth it.
His twilight task is difficult and exhausting
But the rain makes it worse.
It pounds heavily down
On his delicate wings
Like a falling airborne curse.
He must retreat
To a tree or rooftop roost.
The precious little time for finding food is over.
And with these changing times,
Each night it’s getting even shorter.
Amy C. Gladwell
I’m Amy and I’m currently working as a Biology lecturer at the Havant and South Downs College. I recently graduated from my degree in Biology and Master of Research degree in Evolutionary Biology and my biggest passion has always been science communication! I hope to continue writing about all my favourite animals and biological systems.