A forest, dimly lit and green,
Where sense of smell was clearly keen,
Where trees loomed tall and closely set,
Where trailing vines and twilight met.
A place of foggy, morning rain,
A place of undisturbed terrain,
A place of sunlight’s seasoned song,
A place I felt that I belonged.
A place that harbored Nature’s best,
A place where I was uninvited guest;
The place where first I saw those eyes,
So well-preserved in their disguise.
A stag, majestic in his stead
With noble antlers crowning head –
He stood atop the hill, just so,
Surveying what was his below.
I watched him, as he made his way
Along the paths where squirrels played,
Among the rocks and broken trails
And through the wooded, fernlike veils,
Until he came to where I stood,
And held his ground, as best he could.
He sniffed the air for signs of fear
Detecting danger might be near,
But never faltered, flinched or fled,
And closer moved with cautious tread.
Until I could but reach my hand
And almost touch to understand
The warmth that lay beneath his breast
And all the wisdom he possessed.
So, watched we there in Nature’s pause,
And gave each other goodlycause
To what our frailties might reveal,
Of what the other might then feel,
Until he turned to steal away
And leave me all alone that day
With just the sound of summer sighs,
With just the kindness in his eyes.
The kind of poem I love and so beautifully written. Maybe because of the time I drove from my house to a landmark in West Virginia called Coopers Rock, about 3 miles away one evening in the fall. Prior to that I hadn't seen any deer, although I knew they were there. That evening during the rut I saw six from my car and no does. One, like your poem, stood silhouetted against the sky, uphill from me in an opening created by a power line through the forest. He was a majestic sight.
And, I've had the up close and personal experience with deer at a state park one half hour from my home here in suburban Houston. On a couple of occasions in the fall I watched as many as 30 of them in the field with bucks vying for does… Magical.
Loved every verse in this poetic gem. Your precise description of your encounter with the deer makes me feel as if I were there with you. Well done! Thank you for sharing!
Explore the mystery of how nature makes unexpected gifts of creative wonders to an unsuspecting caregiver one late night and early morning in southeastern Georgia, USA.
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And, I've had the up close and personal experience with deer at a state park one half hour from my home here in suburban Houston. On a couple of occasions in the fall I watched as many as 30 of them in the field with bucks vying for does… Magical.
Ron