Introduction

There is a community in Florida with a beautiful landscape. The owners of the property have decided to eliminate all the ducks, geese and collarless cats because they find them to be a nuisance and dirty. They have hired a man to trap and kill these animals for a fee. This is an essay from the animals’ point of view, it is also a metaphor for issues happening today.

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The Execution

“I am a snowbird, one of the geese, that flew from the cold, in the upper north east, to our southern lake home, surrounded by trees, made of palms, filled with parrots, and sweet honey bees. It was grand to be back, in the warm south again, and we looked forward to seeing, our indigenous friends. But something had changed, since our departure last year, and upon our return, it filled us with fear. The flocks of ducks, that once flourished in place, we could only see a mere smidgen, a brace. That wasn’t all, that had changed this fall, the cats must be hiding, none seen at all.
“We landed together, by the lake water’s edge, saw Swimmer and Gordo, our two duck friends. They came to wish, a welcomed hello, and then told us a story, we needed to know. They were frightened and nervous, as they spoke of the tale, of the evil assault, on our lake that prevailed.”
“There is a man in a truck, he arrives here at dawn, he begins at the lake, then he moves on. He drives a white pickup, through all of the streets, collecting the ducks, the cats and the geese. The people that own, the land pay him well, to extinguish the life, from the bodies he’d sell, back to the office, where they’d write a check, for all of the horrors, for each broken neck. Soulless and heartless, he sets his traps, for the ducks and the geese, and the collarless cats.”
I asked what happened, to Cassy and Brent, Mellow and Nugget, and the Siamese, Trent?
Those cats met their match, my gaggle was told, by the hands of man, who wore rings made of gold. The executioner, has no name, he’s angry and mean, and holds all of the blame. When the people ask him, “how he could be, so heartless”, he’d laugh, and say, “can’t you see?
“They’re dirty and messy, and left on their own, they’ll stain your sidewalks, and stink up your homes, destroying your flowers, where they build their nests, laying dozens of eggs, for more unwanted pests. Yet you blame me, but you’re blind as can be, to how destructive these creatures can be. So, I snap the ducks’ neck, with no second thoughts, then throw their limp bodies, into the truck I brought. Without a care, I capture the cats, in broken down cages, that I use as traps. Luring them in, with morsels of food, gaining their trust, fomenting their mood, then as quick as the devil, with one single blow, I end their existence, and take them in stow.”
“The people that live, in our village he struck, hated the sight, of seeing his truck. He’s a tormented fool, to live by such rule, earning his wage, by being so cruel. The dogs without collars, he would not go near, they were strays, and had ways, that this coward feared. They would bite and fight, and tear him apart, if they sensed his intentions, and the coal in his heart. They had a sixth sense, and he learned long ago, to not mess with a canine, that one did not know. He would stay and collect, the small easy prey, because that was how, this craven got paid. It was safe and smart, to reign as a king, over creatures like us, that could not do a thing.”
“He must be stopped, I said, we need a plan, to put an end, to this horrible man. We must meet tonight, please put out the word, for all to assemble, and voices be heard.” They agreed, to contact all, the ducks and the cats and the geese, to the call.
The moon was full, high in the sky, as each of the groups, began to arrive, on the common ground, next to the lake, where the moonlight shimmered, off the clear waters wake. The cats and the birds, though enemies found, it was best to be friends, for this common ground. The house cats snuck, from their owner’s safe rooms’, the studs in their collars, glistened under the moon. The cats sat together, facing the lake, the ducks did the same, to the right of that space, at last the geese, began to arrive, and lined themselves up in front of both tribes. With the lake at their backs, the moon in the sky, shone off the water, igniting all eyes. I stepped forward addressing, the groups on the ground, surprised at not hearing a sound.
“I am glad to see, that you got the word, sticking together, will make ourselves heard. As appalled as I was, when I first learned the news, I can see by your coming, that you’re distressed too. We all know, what this person has brought, so let’s open the floor, to hear everyone’s thoughts.”
From the cats on the left, a fat tabby stretched, showing his claws, sharp clean and kept. He twisted his neck, as his thoughts he prepared, his front legs outstretched, his tail in the air. As everyone waited, he relaxed his paws, stood on all fours, and spoke clear to the cause.
“Mellow and Nugget, were friends of mine, Cassy and Brent, were two of a kind. They didn’t deserve their early demise, and I for one, suggest a surprise. Do unto others as, they have done unto you, or you will open yourself, to the same problem ennewed.”
There was a mumble, that fluttered, all through the crowd, but no one objected, not yet, not out loud.
“Are you suggesting, we catch him, and batter him blue? this Goliath is larger than both me and of you.”
The tabby answered, “I have a devious plan, something cleverer, to play out our hand. It will need a distraction, timing and luck, but if works well, we’ll destroy his truck.”
The ducks and the geese, liked what they heard, the cats were proud of this bright tabby’s words. With no where to place, the bounty he caught, his business would fail, place his earnings in fraught.
“At first, I thought, that your words meant, using bodily harm, to make him repent. Now I see clearly, that you have spent, more time than us, to render content.”
From the right of the group, that sat on the ground, a Muscovy duck, began to make sounds, “he deserves more, for the havoc he brought, he killed our friends, without even a thought. Losing his truck, is not a big deal, compared to all of the lives, he did steal.”
Once again, the air, wasn’t so meek, when this white gullet duck, with red beads on his beak, rallied the crowd, bringing anger to bear, adding malice and vengeance, with the words that he shared.
“I must admit, I understand why, you see it that way, and I can’t deny, that deep in my heart, I feel the same, but a violent approach, will not make a change. The ones that we lost, will never return, the past is the past, let the lesson be learned. To cut this man, from his ways and his means, will render him useless, let’s hear the cat’s scheme.”
All heads began, to nod on both sides, saying, “let’s hear the plan, before we decide.” The tabby walked, to the lakes center stage, so all in the crowd would be fully engaged, as he laid out his plan, wanting to see, if everyone here would agree.
“He arrives in the morning, before the sunrise, and goes to the lake, where he starts with surprise, as the ducks and the geese, slumber in sleep, he grabs two by the neck, snaps them, then leaps. If he’s lucky he may, pick one more, maybe two, but once alerted the rest of them flew. He takes the dead back, to his beat-up old truck, where they’re added, to the trash, rubbish and muck. He wipes his hands clean, of the blood and the gore, then back in the truck he drives some more. He stops at the place, where he set his first cage, and bludgeons the cat, that hisses enraged. The cat dies confined, in this trap made of steel, while the man wonders, ‘did he enjoyed his last meal?’
He laid these traps, all over the grounds, and one by one, he makes his rounds, some cats he finds dead, from their attempts to escape, others exhausted, they lie there and wait.”
The cats and the ducks and the geese on the ground, all stare at the tabby, with a look of astound, a voice from the crowd called, wanting to know, “what was the plan, how does it go?”
“His truck is a worn, old piece of junk. The metal is rusted, its interior stunk. One day I personally, check underneath, I saw where the break lines, and rear tires meet. They are brittle and old, and in disrepair, two bites would put spike holes, wherever we cared. Each morning, after he clears all the traps, he resets them, and counts the bodies in back, off to the office he drives to get paid, sitting in that old truck, till his check is made. From there he would drive, to the dump and discard, all of the bodies, with little regard, throwing them into, a pile of waste, then off to have breakfast, filling his face. As he drives on the highway, after our fix, as he hits his breaks, the fluid will hiss, from the holes that we made, until it runs dry, and only God knows, where that truck will collide.”
The plan was good, they all agreed, let’s do it tomorrow, and set ourselves free, from this evil man, who will get just deserts, for all of the pain, the anguish and hurts. Throughout the night, the group tripped the traps, not allowing the triggering flaps to react, in the morning no birds, would sleep by the lake, and all the cats would be safe.
A decision was made, for black kittens, not cats, to gnaw the lines, teeth like needles, sharp tacks. The dim light would disguise, their coats not attract, the driver to see their attack. Like shadows small, completely concealed, they’d render the holes, in the lines to the wheels, thus making him pay for the, ignored appeals, to stop the killing steals.
All was ready, when he came through the gate, and made his way, to the street by the lake, as quiet as sin, he opened the door, and snuck from the truck, towards the lakes shore. Something was different, he saw right away, no fowl was there sleeping, with no reason to stay. When he turned, he saw kittens, under his truck, with the stealth of a snake, he approached them and struck. He grabbed one by the tail, and held on tight, but she was quick to defend, with her nails and her bite. With his free hand, he tried, to break her grip, but she held on tight, refusing to slip.
Two stray dogs came, attacking his leg, tearing at flesh, making him beg. He dropped the kitten, and lunged for the truck, with both dogs hanging on, he made it with luck. Quickly he put, the pickup in gear, hitting the gas, he veered. The speed of the truck, made the dogs lose their grip, but the blood from his leg, continued to drip. With the kitten’s work, the brake fluid seeped, the blood from his leg, continued to leak, the dogs met the cats, the ducks and the geese, and accepted their thanks, for the kitten’s safe keep.
With vision blurred, he raced for help, weary, tired, that’s how he felt, loss of blood, made him feel frail, when he hit the brakes, they failed. The truck crashed hard, Gordo flew, knowing exactly, what he would do, he relieved himself, upon the man’s head, when they pulled his body out dead.