LAST SUMMER DURING A PANDEMIC

by Melinda Baker

 

a doe and her fawn grazed along the wood’s 

edge        suddenly         she was startled by a larger 

fawn bursting out of the trees         chasing her 

 

into the open field        he shoved his head under her 

body and attached         quickly joined by his smaller 

twin         their white tails wagged        as over and over 

 

they butted their noses against the doe’s belly

and sucked         pawing the earth with pleasure

until she bucked both hind legs neatly over

 

the shorter of the two         escaping to taste 

roses by the woodpile while her offspring

paused to lick the milk from their noses and stare at 

 

me watching from a window close

enough to count their fading spots         watching

for something to happen in a world where

 

nothing and everything was happening 

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