Page 3 - The Gluckman Occasional Number Two

On Zoomer’s first flight, he more than kept pace;
He zipped through the air with speed and with grace,
Arriving on time near trees by a lake
Ahead of his pal who’d given him chase.

But Zoomer might as well have shown up late!
Here’s why: the lake was a big dinner plate
Where bats got busy catching and eating
The moths who’d arrived to meet and to mate.

The prey was hit precisely in the murk
With echolocation—but by some quirk
Of fate the odd bat was born without it:
Soon Zoomer learned his sonar didn’t work.

It’s sad but it’s true: without the right stuff,
The youngster could snatch not nearly enough;
He fought against panic, fearful he’d starve:
This wasn’t a game through which he could bluff.

Defeating his handicap—flying blind—
Required him rapidly somehow to find
Another way to intercept insects:
A strategy quickly formed in his mind.