Playing Possum

Wind-angled rain, tossing the tree branches so wildly they creaked. The song of thunder and staccato of rain on concrete, a primal music so elemental my cells danced to it. Lashed by Wind, the rip-stop nylon pants rattled around my legs. Head bent in a futile attempt to keep the jacket hood low enough to shield my eyes from heavy, cold, vision-obscuring sheets of rain, I ran in the dark. Holding the Tabby Brotherhood’s food bowls to my chest, I shivered in the chill and excitement of this elemental dance. It was early morning. The streetlights shimmered in torrents of pounding rain and blustery wind. Leaning down to place the bowls next to the gate that accesses the feeding station, from vision’s edge I saw someone running towards me. She was a wild, untrained beauty. Her tongue revealed some Chow was in her lineage. Water flew from her black fur as she lunged for the bowls. As usual, the dog had run away from the home in which she visits in this neighborhood.

With drenched face and hands, I juggled the bowls, inserted the key, pulled the gate door handle towards me and managed to open the lock. The swollen wood sighed and hinges creaked as the gate opened. There was no sign of the Brothers in this downpour.

Again movement at the gate caught my eye. A woman ran by, calling the long gone dog. She held what appeared to be a piece of ribbon in her hand. The chase was on. The dog loved this game!

The meal delivered, I picked up the empty bowls, locked the gate and started towards home. Wind and rain danced all around. Even wearing waterproof gear I was wet. Illuminated by streetlights, the rain shimmered, fleeting quicksilver falling stars. Just beyond the garages where the Tabby Brotherhood often stays, the woman and dog stood, motionless, looking down at the sidewalk. In the dim light I saw a small, furred body lying on the sidewalk. My heart sank, yet even in the dark I saw the shape of it wasn’t feline. With lowered head, the dog cautiously leaned towards the still body. The woman stood rigid and uncertain. As I approached, she yelled out above the rain “ She didn’t touch it. I swear she didn’t do anything to it.” Close enough now to recognize the form, I silently chuckled. “ I believe you. This is an opossum. I suggest that you both move on.” I replied. “She didn’t touch it”, the woman screamed. “Possums pretend to be dead on purpose”, I explained. “It’s a protection tactic when they feel threatened. They can even make themselves smell like they are dead.” She repeated ”I swear she didn’t do anything.” “Opossums fake being dead to fool predators. I suggest that you two walk on”, I replied. As I spoke, the possum opened its eyes, looked at me, stood up and scuttled under a fence. The woman looked at me in disbelief and said. “I didn’t know they did that “ With a laugh, I replied “That’s the origin of the expression “playing possum”.

That night, after the rain had stopped, I walked out onto the small back porch. There were Mystery, a cat who lives out of doors, and the possum. Every night, for weeks afterwards, I saw the two of them sitting quietly on opposite sides of the porch. Sometimes I stood or sat with them for a few moments, simply being with them. Several times I asked the opossum if there was any thing they wanted or needed. When I asked for permission, the opossum agreed to my writing about seeing their performance for the dog.

In another, gentler rain I buried an opossum’s body. Digging the hole in which to return the body to Earth, I found two marbles. One was green, the other white. A gift.

Only after that being’s spirit had left the body could I feel the softness of the fur and hold so delicate, immaculately appropriate a paw in my palm. As I lifted the body to place it in the rain-drenched soil, I saw the pouch in the belly. A female.

Everyone we encounter in life offers a gift to us and we to them. Whatever our species, we are all one family. One opossum showed a human something about their unique way of being. An opossum and a feral born feline demonstrated that true kinship knows no limitation. They were able to be near each other in a balanced way. Two friends of differing species, gender, color and form, savoring the moonlight and the news on the wind.

I asked the spirit of the opossum if there was anything that she would like humans to know. She said “ There is a softness and joy within each of us that calls out to celebrate life in all of its fullness. The rain has its place, the sun as well. To touch the life of another with kindness and respect benefits all.“

Marbles

 

  1. Great story!! Thanks to the possum for being and sharing.


    — Molly    Feb 3, 02:23 PM    #

  2. Polly,

    Loved re-reading this exquisite essay again today. Thank you for all you do in the world to connect and sustain and heal and facilitate well-being and wholeness. With love! Sarah


    — sarah    Oct 17, 11:11 AM    #

  3. Polly,
    Playing Possum is a wonderful story. Connecting, living in balance, and sharing space with harmony is a longing of all humans, yet to be realized by many. Thank you and thank Possum and Mystery.
    Ruth Dec.20,2007


    — Ruth Lewis    Dec 19, 06:17 PM    #

  4. EJdcZX zocgiteubytn, [url=http://nudxxkmgerzj.com/]nudxxkmgerzj[/url], [link=http://tzcejmtgjikl.com/]tzcejmtgjikl[/link], http://bgejbjimxicq.com/


    — duqgqyzbipb    May 15, 12:51 AM    #

  5. 5uKi4Q <a href=“http://yfybsrwkphip.com/”>yfybsrwkphip</a>, [url=http://zcfdtlbawdzm.com/]zcfdtlbawdzm[/url], [link=http://vbelyhuqeybr.com/]vbelyhuqeybr[/link], http://msvsfqkhwkgr.com/


    — fosstzll    Jan 3, 09:52 AM    #

  6. I saw a possum in my garden night before last and when I turned the light on it froze. I carefuly ran to get my son to see. He couldn’t believe it was still there (playing possum)and how big it was and then when we moved toward it, off it ran. My son was scared and said we should kill it but I explained it kept my garden free of snails & slugs. I am going to share this story also so he will see the beauty of this animal as I did.
    Thank you.


    — thelma cuellar    Jan 19, 03:51 PM    #

  7. FlqsUz <a href=“http://xjutannxnkov.com/”>xjutannxnkov</a>, [url=http://zhmpyiyiujjq.com/]zhmpyiyiujjq[/url], [link=http://mdylwtvdchyy.com/]mdylwtvdchyy[/link], http://lcahyjrdvqfh.com/


    — neqbxmglsnq    Mar 5, 04:44 PM    #

  8. UYudE9 <a href=“http://orgzwphufblq.com/”>orgzwphufblq</a>, [url=http://ezjoyqrxfezp.com/]ezjoyqrxfezp[/url], [link=http://peqqeeejaeip.com/]peqqeeejaeip[/link], http://sqxefpglqtet.com/


    — lcvlqucz    Mar 18, 01:07 AM    #

  9. ex7HEt <a href=“http://zphhnrllnzhe.com/”>zphhnrllnzhe</a>, [url=http://pwihlhkhrpnt.com/]pwihlhkhrpnt[/url], [link=http://zfrrggpjnugm.com/]zfrrggpjnugm[/link], http://rpmpnkhrqtln.com/


    — uessttlt    Mar 25, 02:59 PM    #

  10. qFeRxJ <a href=“http://lcilfrcehvin.com/”>lcilfrcehvin</a>, [url=http://gxlzybddaseq.com/]gxlzybddaseq[/url], [link=http://pxluijbpppwt.com/]pxluijbpppwt[/link], http://mthlpokzmnqr.com/


    — yotfst    Mar 26, 07:56 AM    #

Leave a comment

Name
E-mail
http://
Message
  Textile Help

  1. Great story!! Thanks to the possum for being and sharing.


    — Molly    Feb 3, 02:23 PM    #

  2. Polly,

    Loved re-reading this exquisite essay again today. Thank you for all you do in the world to connect and sustain and heal and facilitate well-being and wholeness. With love! Sarah


    — sarah    Oct 17, 11:11 AM    #

  3. Polly,
    Playing Possum is a wonderful story. Connecting, living in balance, and sharing space with harmony is a longing of all humans, yet to be realized by many. Thank you and thank Possum and Mystery.
    Ruth Dec.20,2007


    — Ruth Lewis    Dec 19, 06:17 PM    #

  4. EJdcZX zocgiteubytn, [url=http://nudxxkmgerzj.com/]nudxxkmgerzj[/url], [link=http://tzcejmtgjikl.com/]tzcejmtgjikl[/link], http://bgejbjimxicq.com/


    — duqgqyzbipb    May 15, 12:51 AM    #

  5. 5uKi4Q <a href=“http://yfybsrwkphip.com/”>yfybsrwkphip</a>, [url=http://zcfdtlbawdzm.com/]zcfdtlbawdzm[/url], [link=http://vbelyhuqeybr.com/]vbelyhuqeybr[/link], http://msvsfqkhwkgr.com/


    — fosstzll    Jan 3, 09:52 AM    #

  6. I saw a possum in my garden night before last and when I turned the light on it froze. I carefuly ran to get my son to see. He couldn’t believe it was still there (playing possum)and how big it was and then when we moved toward it, off it ran. My son was scared and said we should kill it but I explained it kept my garden free of snails & slugs. I am going to share this story also so he will see the beauty of this animal as I did.
    Thank you.


    — thelma cuellar    Jan 19, 03:51 PM    #

  7. FlqsUz <a href=“http://xjutannxnkov.com/”>xjutannxnkov</a>, [url=http://zhmpyiyiujjq.com/]zhmpyiyiujjq[/url], [link=http://mdylwtvdchyy.com/]mdylwtvdchyy[/link], http://lcahyjrdvqfh.com/


    — neqbxmglsnq    Mar 5, 04:44 PM    #

  8. UYudE9 <a href=“http://orgzwphufblq.com/”>orgzwphufblq</a>, [url=http://ezjoyqrxfezp.com/]ezjoyqrxfezp[/url], [link=http://peqqeeejaeip.com/]peqqeeejaeip[/link], http://sqxefpglqtet.com/


    — lcvlqucz    Mar 18, 01:07 AM    #

  9. ex7HEt <a href=“http://zphhnrllnzhe.com/”>zphhnrllnzhe</a>, [url=http://pwihlhkhrpnt.com/]pwihlhkhrpnt[/url], [link=http://zfrrggpjnugm.com/]zfrrggpjnugm[/link], http://rpmpnkhrqtln.com/


    — uessttlt    Mar 25, 02:59 PM    #

  10. qFeRxJ <a href=“http://lcilfrcehvin.com/”>lcilfrcehvin</a>, [url=http://gxlzybddaseq.com/]gxlzybddaseq[/url], [link=http://pxluijbpppwt.com/]pxluijbpppwt[/link], http://mthlpokzmnqr.com/


    — yotfst    Mar 26, 07:56 AM    #

Leave a comment

Name
E-mail
http://
Message
  Textile Help