Last night at dusk
as the peepers called to
their lovers and the
frogs croaked to theirs
a young deer,
confused by a fence
rammed herself
over and over into it

A few feet away
the fence ended
and the deer could have
run right through
had she the where-with- all
to stop her ramming
and just look

I watched and tried
to coax her
until finally she spooked
and ran the other way,
across the path
and into the woods
where she disappeared
as if she had never
been there at all