THE ROE DEER
for Vigdis Storsletten

The shadows of the trees
and the frost-heaved stones
over long seasons
have shaped this grazing
question, with ears
that cup the hush.

He is the thief the blossom
has desired all the untold summers,
the forager the grass
has hungered for. Awake to
the hiding place where you
believe yourself unknown,

he is the answer you
once lived, the imaginary
kingdom’s real heartbeat.

Let the trees stir
above you. Draw that
deepest breath, and
keep your secret.
He knows you are here.