Z
azenbozo recently posted about killing chickens. He mentioned that he used to say a prayer for them, but now just says a few words -- they're chickens, after all, and not people; prayers feel unfit. It brought to mind almost the exact same sequence that I once went through with roadkill -- it used to be I would cross myself every time I passed an animal, dead by the side of the road. But as much compassion as I have for these Recently Departed, it does feel like it dilutes the meaning of the gesture. I stopped years ago. These acts are meant for Somethign Else, not just generalized pity or empathy, no matter how intense or well-meaning.
It is funny, though, that because it is so hard for us humans to distinguish individual animals from one another, I can unconsciously take on the attitude that, when a bug hits my windshield, it has somehow "done this before". Oop -- there it goes, dying again! But it's not true. Every squirrel run over by a car is dying for the very first time, utterly bewildered, but certain that life is better than Nothing.
Unrelated -- I have for a little while been turning around the phrase in my head: "Anonymous as roadkill", looking for a poem to stick it in.