A few days ago
one of the deer put her head
through the little fence I’d put up
to keep her from eating
the fledgling daffodils
She was definitely trying
What do you think you’re doing?
I asked, which startled her
& she threw her head back
to the left in a big Not I gesture
taking the fence panel
with her
They’re nearly blind you know
& impossible to reason with
Just lower your head
Just look at the ground
Don’t look at me, the ground
—it will slide right off
you silly animal
She took a few steps & then
a few more. She hung out
with the rest of the deer
for a while like that—the stupid fence
dangling from her neck
like a stockade or like a muppet
crashing through the letter H
They just look at me
when I talk to them, rarely run
but we’re not doing so well
on the English yet
I saw her today with the same
group as before—two other adults
two young adults & herself
—free. Oh good. No fence.
All that was missing
were my daffodils