Hedgehogs and hares, dragonflies and deer… This mini anthology is a celebration of the wild creatures that flutter, slither, swim or stride through the British countryside.

The strange language of bats and the exhilaration of wild ponies running free are brought vividly to life, while the sinuous body of an otter is captured in a poem of slippery word-play.

Again and again we experience the thrill of encountering a wild animal in its habitat:

“When she pauses in the clearing between cedars
slender neck arched like a drawn bow,
I want to kneel, hold her against my thundering heart,”

from ‘Dream of My Daughter as a Fawn’ by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné

The anthology is a reminder to pay attention to the natural world and its creatures – that although poems may appear to keep them safe, we should never take them for granted.

Poems by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné, John Clare, Emily Dickinson, Jen Hadfield, Norman MacCaig, Robert Macfarlane, David Morley, Les Murray, Pascale Petit and Robert Williams Parry.

Cover illustration by Sam Cannon.

Donation to The Wildlife Trusts.