I remember a time long ago
Back in the days when I was young still,
Around the family farm I would go,
An adventurer seeking his thrill.
I would flip stones and wood on the ground
And there in the damp earth it would be,
Each and every time, so quickly found:
A salamander just waiting for me!
I remember, how cool to the touch
and yet how tough their skin seemed to be and how they would give me quite the fuss
as they attempted to wriggle free
I, being young, would always worry
that holding them tight would cause them pain
so I was always in a hurry
to adore and then free them again.
No longer young, rather, an old man,
I find that I am a bit confused.
I still flip things whenever I can
but beneath, I find the earth unused.
It's to the point I can't help but ask
each time I flip, before I move on
In my now wholey unfruitful task
Where have all the salamanders gone?
