dark wood calm

dark wood calm
white tail walks
alone in the forest
he let his head down
low to the ground
feet crunch leaves,
no finesse
light beams stab
the eyes of the buck
he stares
drawn to it
braced
a voice
calls out in a language
he can't hear
the strange clicks and hums
of human tongues
and a shout
he leaps
ten feet in the air
white tail flashes behind him
gone, hidden
by the ivy and the oak.
he went close once
against his better judgement,
drawn by light,
stunned with beauty
he let
the curious appendages of men
caress his back
he ate.
his hope realized.
he sat
in the company of men
he sat
and the day was calm
a shot
he lept
hind legs buckled beneath him
working but only barely
they followed the trail of blood
for two miles
lost it in the stream
his breath came shallowly
for weeks
he stared into the darkness
leaned heavily
legs dangled over the precipice
and he panted
he didn't slide
weeks.
he walked through the pain
thirst dried his tongue
he walked to the edge of the water
leaned down deeply, drank
he limped.
months.
alone in the calm
in the fog laden field,
the cool morning