It gets worse

The bullied cygnet who was captured ten days ago is back with his family - and wishes he/she wasn't. The vet at Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital must have decided that it was in good enough health to be returned.

Things don't look good though. It now has an injured leg which may be broken. These things must happen all the time in the wild, away from the gaze of caring do-gooders.

It made me think of this poem by Thomas Hardy.

Before Life and After

A time there was - as one may guess
And as, indeed, earth's testimonies tell -
Before the birth of consciousness,
When all went well.

None suffered sickness, love, or loss,
None knew regret, starved hope, or heart-burnings;
None cared whatever crash or cross
Brought wrack to things.

If something ceased, no tongue bewailed,
If something winced and waned, no heart was wrung;
If brightness dimmed, and dark prevailed,
No sense was stung,

But the disease of feeling germed,
And primal rightness took a tinct of wrong;
Ere nescience shall be reaffirmed
How long, how long?