<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Listening Buck</p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sunday morning at the trail head,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">in the east a sky kindling </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">over the shadowed hills. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We chat and walk in the half-light</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">holding hands, sometimes silent, </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">a kiss beside the way.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A day for beginnings and a long </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">climb into clear morning.</p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The path mounts over the rocky shoulder </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">of Tam’s west side. So still up here --</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">the clarity of the world and the sea.</p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We rest in a small glade-- </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">some bread and cheese, </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">then out comes our book </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">and we read to each other.</p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A sound, a fallen twig, we turn to see </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">a buck has come quietly through the woods,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">his ankles sunken in old leaves, ears piqued,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">his neck stretched out to hear our words.</p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Kevin Pryne</p></body></html>