Curiosity or Truly Sadness?

Curiosity or Truly Sadness?....I was on my way home from work the other day and as usual I'm in the habit of taking a less traveled route home if one is available. Living where there is still plenty of country back roads, it's not difficult to find a scenic or quiet road where nature is abundant and varied.

On this particular road there are swampy overgrown areas with cattails and wild flowers right up to the edge of the blacktop. Normally a perfect habitat for small birds and in particular yellow goldfinch. As I was driving very slow observing the landscape I noticed a small yellow bird in the middle of the road. He just stood there and I had to slow down to a crawl in order not to hit him. I assumed it would fly away as I got close. It was obvious he wasn't going to move. As I got even closer I noticed another object in the road. It was another goldfinch that had been run over. Sadly it was almost unrecognizable except for a few bright yellow feathers.

I was truly touched by what I witnessed and felt I needed to share the thought that although we as humans feel we are the only creatures who feel pain, I wonder if that is accurate. After this moment, I don't think so.

.........................

Life
No matter what size
The creature
Is fragile
.........................


Left behind to ponder
A small yellow bird lonely by it's mate
Dead
On the road

Curiosity or broken heart?
Edging closer
It's small delicate head sideways
Glancing left and right
and pecking at the feathers to answer
For itself
Am I alone

I frightened it, but only briefly
Finding a branch to perch
It cried
A moving sound of loss
but stayed
For fear of leaving would mean
loneliness

Are we alone in our feelings of sadness at death?