Gwen Austin
Copyright 1997
A loud-colored lizard?
A slimy salamander?
No.
An Eastern newt
in its immature terrestrial stage--
a red eft.
Red eft and I met in childhood
in our New England wood,
in early autumn,
after a rain or morning dew.
A two inch jewel
of black-spotted orange-red,
marched over mountains
of 'princess pine'
on its way to danger.
I lay on furry clubmoss
and marveled
at petite perfection.
Gleaming black eyes glittered
as it studied me.
When onto the road,
it tumbled,
I became its knight,
transporting it to safety.
One morning after Dad
drove down the hill,
I searched
until I was ill.
There on the track,
smashed front to back,
lay my red eft.
I am still bereft.