Snapping twigs like snapping bones
A silent silence that silences all
Almost unreal, almost too still
A different planet, maybe.
But as she drew nearer
Wide-eyed and weary
Early on this bitter morn
She was alone once more.
Fawn-less now, unattended
Even stag, if you will
Yearning for her child still
But hey, a wolf’s gotta eat.
Another meal for another beast
She walks along, breaking bones
Scenery just as grey as the sky
A shiny lense catches her wide eye.
It witnessed every last detail
Every gruesome cry and wail
Will they enjoy this tragedy?
She doubts it.
As of late, the hunting ended
But she hopes they will learn
That after she’s hunted by guns
She’s hunted by fangs.

Waiting    listening    watching -
senses strain against
the darkness.

Dark gives way to gray
enough to see
deceptive shadows.

The woods stir slowly.
Chickadees speak, still sleepy.
Leaves rustle in the distance

alerting vigilant ears and eyes; inciting hope.
Scanning the ridge and shooting lanes, my eyes - then ears -
lock on rummaging squirrels.  

Cold hands slip back into pockets;
it tries to snow.
Ravens complain        back        and        forth.

Stillness -
then the rise of wind
through the trees.

Around eleven I walk to Dad’s stand.
Quiet talk and hot soup -
no deer.

The afternoon is spent, back against a Maple, with cautious thoughts comfortable enough to creep forward and linger in the peace of the woods.

I. The prettiest thing I've ever done was hold someone while they cried. This was the most beautiful I've ever looked. She shook like a rabbit, watching cars whir by on the roadside.

II. I've fallen in love with strangers. I've fallen in love with familiar faces, and then fell out of love when I realized they were still strangers.

III. I had a dream my father hated me. I woke up, and I couldn't look at him in the eyes during dinner.

IV. I watched a deer cross the road today, her head hung low in the thick morning mist. I called her Daisy, and Daisy ran into the graph paper patterned trees of the forest. She disappeared as the fog closed in, dashing into the blank scene in front of me, the painted canvas of her back running across the page like a blur of everything I love about living.

i'm the man drinking coffee alone at the diner who kindly asks you for the time. you reply but you don't even look at me in my eyes.
i'm the lone deer you hit while driving at 3am. you don't even stop the car. you even forgot about it the next day.
i'm the homeless cat you stopped feeding at night. i still meow at your doorstep. you just ignore it.

I choose
not to step out
in front of the
oncoming truck
like some flighty
whitetail deer
beside a lonely highway
flat-lining through the Badlands

I hold the perimeter
respect the irrevocable
delineations of love
honor the ground
that roots
evergreen
place my trust
in lapis blue

Like a scared little doe
You coaxed me into the field to go
You feed me every single day
All your sweet loving words it was such an array
You had me believing
You would never be leaving
Then one day with loving words still on your lips
You pulled the arrow off your hip
Pulled back your bow
Let your arrow flow
Right into my heart
But that was just the start
I didn't die
You only wanted me to cry
With every heart beat
The more I bleed
I slowly go insane
Whilst all the blood drains
And my heart again will turn to stone
I will now forever live my life alone
For you again have showen me
True love is just a fantasy
But for now I'm still bleeding out
Now all I can do is shout
To the heavens, God your so cruel
I'll just lay here and watch my blood, my love, pool
I no longer belive in God, see babe you even took that too
No more hope, no more faith, no more love, you took it all, I'M THROUGH!!

Today I'm so happy
Know why
My mom and my dad
Are out this evening
They are eating out
I am all alone
At our home
I can do whatever i want
As much as i want
For as long as i want
But I'm lazy
All I'd do is lay and eat
They should have took me with them
Anyway I'm still happy
It's the first time
They left me alone at home

An hour have passed
Since they left
I'm not getting bored
Before it was fun
But it's so boring now
Without them
I used to share them
My stories
What i did in day
How me and my friends played
And some of my secret stuff
But now it got boring
And i am feeling so sleepy so quick

I heard two loud bangs
I was asleep already
But those loud bangs woke me up
I thought they were sound of thunder
But there were no clouds above
I was wondering where those bangs came from
But it's first time i heard those
Couldn't figure out
And I'm feeling sleepy again

I woke up at mid night
Again
I am feeling restless
It's so late
Moon is shining above
It's so scary
The closes are above
And lightening falling down
And its really so scary
Before when i used to get up at midnight
My dad or my mom used to
Get up for me and make me sleep again

They haven't come home yet
Why aren't they here
I feel so fearful
I feel so alone
The hooting of owls
The small roars
The buzzing of insects
I can hear it all
My body shivers with each sound
The darkness is taming me
I'm so afraid
Please come back mom and dad

And they never came................

There are countless other waiting to take your place.
You tried to follow the highway out, but
the headlights blinded off your necklace spelling
noli me tangere, and now the only part of you
going sixty out of this two-horse town
is the fur that caught in the grille that hit you.
You never had a big enough spread
to be a proper Goliath, anyway, and besides,
nobody believes in white harts these days.