Deer

This afternoon, I went for a walk, repetitively counting my sufferings

Like prayer beads, one-by-one. Not noticing the chilled air and sunshine,

My footsteps quickened - hurried, little rivers rushing - until something

Called out to me, caught me from the corner of my eye: a small and lone

Deer. A child, perhaps? Where was its mother? The sweet, little body

Paused, I slowed my walking, and we peered into each other’s eyes

From a safe distance across the frostbitten lawn. Something in me resolved -

My sorrow still weighed heavy, yet it didn’t seem so important anymore.

I carried on, my footsteps easing into a gentle drum-beat, and I began

To notice the robins, the white berries, the way my exhale curled in the air.