I haven't shared a poem for a long time, but the other day I saw a deer in the yard in MD. We have deer wandering through our backyard in NJ almost every day, but I haven't seen a deer in the three and a half years we've lived in MD. It felt like an occasion for a poem.
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| Photo by Miriam Fischer from Pexels |
Deer Descending
by Philip Terman
by Philip Terman
Perhaps she came down for the apples,
or was flushed out by the saws powering
the far woods, or was simply lost,
or was crossing one open space for another.
She was a figure approaching, a presence
outside a kitchen window, framed
by the leafless apple trees, the stiff blueberry bushes,
the after-harvest corn, the just-before-rain sky,
a shape only narrow bones could hold,
turning its full face upward, head tilted to one side, as if to speak.
I want my life back.
Morning settles around her like a silver coat.
Rustling branches, hooves in flight.
or was flushed out by the saws powering
the far woods, or was simply lost,
or was crossing one open space for another.
She was a figure approaching, a presence
outside a kitchen window, framed
by the leafless apple trees, the stiff blueberry bushes,
the after-harvest corn, the just-before-rain sky,
a shape only narrow bones could hold,
turning its full face upward, head tilted to one side, as if to speak.
I want my life back.
Morning settles around her like a silver coat.
Rustling branches, hooves in flight.
Berman, Philip. "Deer Descending". Our Portion, Autumn House Press, 2015.
I wish you mindfulness, good health, the peacefulness of deer and maybe seeing an actual deer or two, along with some poetry as the week winds down.
That is a beautiful poem -- it fills me with such a sense of calm. Thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThat is a lovely poem, Bonny. We have many "deer friends" (as Erin always used to refer to them) among the woodland creatures of my neighborhood. We see them moving through the area pretty much every day, stopping to munch our gardens a little too frequently for my liking . . . but, hey. Ya gotta eat. Anyway. They are such graceful, quiet creatures. And your poem today captures them perfectly!
ReplyDeleteI needed this, Bonny. I am not going to see deer in my back yard, unfortunately, but I can picture them in my mind's eye. Nature can be a great healer for anxiety, and goodness knows, we have plenty of reason to be anxious these days. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteI saw a deer on my way to work today, she was running along the edge of a yard. I couldn't see anything that made her run but I've been thinking about her all morning. The timing of your poem is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThat's beautiful, Bonny!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful poem. The deer have not been coming as frequently to our yard and I miss them
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely poem. Deer are such graceful creatures. When healthy, their coats are so beautiful. This poem captures the idea of a deer so well.
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