Afternoon With A Fawn

Photograph by Alex Shapiro


Afternoon With A Fawn

There are few things cuter than watching
a newborn fawn closely follow its mother
as it discovers what this world is all about.
So far, it has learned about my wood chopping pile,
the salal-draped shore pine forest around it,
the neon blue dragon flies that buzz everywhere,
my garbage and recycling bins,
the endless sound of all the birds and frogs in the trees,
and the way the driveway gravel feels
under those little hooves.

I am hoping that s/he does not get an object lesson about cars.
This is a dead end rural road
that sees very few four-wheeled critters each day,
but there are way too many sad stories
on this island of car versus deer.
A losing proposition on both sides of the windshield.

Alex Shapiro June 2009

Prose Posted over her blog Notes From the Kelp
Linebreaks by Glenn Buttkus