I like Sy, but my wife does not--
She doesn't like rodents or that they eat our tomatoes.
They’re just rats with bushy tails
But Sy and his brethren exhibit traits
we wish our children had,
They plan for the future, 
hiding nuts, seldom found by dogs.
As a species they succeed, 
they survive and proliferate,
cleverly raiding bird feeders and gardens,
avoiding traps and out-smarting squirrel guards.
Live in a tree, scamper across roofs.
If only, they were better crossing the street.
But I, when confronting my mortality,
I think, next time around,
I want to be Silvester the tomato-eating gray squirrel