Nature red in tooth and claw.

Mum emails, describing her sorrow at seeing a baby thrush torn apart by rooks.
I know she will be reached with empathy for the little thrush and its parents, who had to watch it torn apart in front of them.

I tell this to Eddie, a vegetarian and member of the RSPCA for over sixty years, expecting him to react in the same way, but he stands there stony faced. 'In its defence,' says Eddie, 'the rook is a rook.'

I tell him Mum is no mushyhead, she knows to expect this sort of thing. Her email goes on to remind me that this is nature red in tooth and claw.  She goes on to discuss where the quotation comes from (Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem In Memoriam)

Eddie interrupts.
You're an English graduate aren't you? Shouldn't you already know that?

I change the subject rapidly. This isn't something anyone needs to talk about. 'There was a good radio play​ based on In Memoriam a few years ago.... well I say radio play, it was just David Bamber reading the poem, but somehow that was enough.'
'I do have a radio, you know,' says Eddie. 'I did know that.'


I can tell I've upset him. 'Something's bothering you, isn't it? Is it all the bits of dead animal I've got in the fridge?'

Eddie takes his pipe out of his mouth. 'In the

'I don't have much empathy with animals,' I say. 'Mum does.' And I know she does, I know she can feel the agony of the baby thrush torn to pieces, and the pain and grief of its parents, who tried valliantly but pointlessly to frighten the enormous rook away. I'm sure she can look at this from the other point of view and feel the hunger of the rook.  'I'm sure this indicates some massive personality disorders on my part.

Oh well, says Eddie. Frankie Boyle's done tremendously well, hasn't he?