it was a warm summer day on Cape Cod

I decided to eat my chicken salad lunch outside

looking out from the porch 

the beautiful garden full of flowers attracted many butterflies

they danced in the still air with playful abandon

bunny rabbits wandered across the well manicured lawn

birds were singing their happy songs

the voices of children playing emerged from the beach below

boaters were preparing to set off for a day of fun

ospreys gracefully soaring above in the breeze

I took a deep breath and marveled at the beauty of it all

everything in perfect harmony full of peace and joy

but all was not what it seemed

an osprey went into a dive and crashed into the calm water

flying high with a wriggling fish in his talons

suddenly a blackbird gave chase to a butterfly

the brief dogfight ensued around the bushes

victorious blackbird emerging with the butterfly in his beak

a prancing fox stealthily crept towards an unsuspecting bunny

his final steps were a leap skyward landing directly on top of the little rabbit

Mr. fox strutted away to consume his lunch in private

plants could not escape these relentless attacks

insects bored into trunks and munched on leaves

creeping vines smothered growing plants

while fungi and blight attacked others

out in the bay the small fish lived in constant fear

hiding in the shallows from their hungry big neighbors

nature is a battlefield where the war never stops

everything is prey for something else

almost every meal spells death for some creature or plant

there are no ceasefires or negotiated peace agreements in nature

the food chain grinds on relentlessly

thankfully I am fortunate to live at the top of the food chain

I sat on the porch like a Roman emperor

overlooking nature’s gladiators battling in the Cape Cod Colosseum before me

watching spilled blood in the garden and in the bay

while trying to convince myself that this was all so beautiful

as I ate my supermarket bought lunch of harvested plants and animals 

it was a warm summer day on Cape Cod