Troubador Publishing

Common Life - Martin Milton

Spring 2020 and a fragile yet determined Mandarin duckling emerges into the world. From the nest to Middledown Pond, each step is fraught with danger, as rustles in the underbrush and ripples on the water pose potential threats. Above, a young squirrel tests her instincts, leaping confidently from branch to branch. Below, swans shepherd their cygnets, scanning the shoreline for danger. A wild-eyed dog races across the pond’s edge, scattering waterfowl like leaves in a storm. Summer arrives and the pandemic empties cities and floods the commons. Wildlife, accustomed to human absence, now faces new chaos. Birds of prey adjust their hunts as unfamiliar feet flatten the ground. The woods become both refuge and trap. Autumn calls for mating, and the deer rut begins with hooves pounding and antlers clashing. However, the ritual is disrupted by crowds and phones, causing a proud stag to falter and his harem to scatter, breaking the old order. Winter descends, and the squirrel slows, forming an alliance with crows to adapt to human presence. Foxes evolve rapidly, thriving in urban sprawl, rewriting territory and the rules of success. With the old ways broken, how will the common recover?

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