POEM - Hope They Never Dig Up the Backyard

In the wild hard-streets of suburban Arizona
When any stray animal
Sought hospice
And a comforting bed
Wherein it could gasp its last breaths
It was to our house they ran
Or fluttered or scurried
Hopped or slithered
Landing on our welcoming doorstep
Regardless of where we moved
In a morbid parade
Of myriad creatures
Heading toward the light
That apparently permanently shined
On whatever front door was ours

They didn't all die
Though that tortoise
He seemed to have a death wish
Crawling into a yard
Lousy with dogs
We saved him
And the rabbits
Well, most of them
And the chicken
Saved her and returned her
To her urban farm
But most of the other birds
Just flopped into our life
Got settled in a nice cage
Feigned a modicum of recovery
Then succumbed

That light still shines
Upon our door
I will spare you the gruesome details
Just do me a favor
Don't dig back there
Sometimes there are things
It is better you don't know