The Deer Does Not Name the Berries 07 06 2010

The Deer Does Not Name the Berries 07 06 2010

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Berries in the forest

I know which ones are good to eat

They are like a treasure found

As is meeting a friend of the forest

~

Some stops in the woods smell clean

Some places rotten smells lurk

Sometimes I smell and my ears perk up

Then I know which way to go

~

As I then approach

Bounding away sounds are heard

~

Brown fur then bounces up and down and away

Did my forest friends lead me to them?

Hoofs trod louder as rocks are trampled

~

As one follows the deer path

We see what the deer sees

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The paths often wind upward on ridges

Through arrays of pines and birch

Then slope down near water

~

The heat of exertion is sometimes met by patches of cold fresh forest air

Providing renewed vigor to the journey leg back

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The deer does not name the berries

Does it shop for favorites in its forest?

And know what will be on distant shelves today?

~

Smell, sight, taste

Memory of being shown what to eat

When it was young

~

Thomas Paul Murphy

~

Copyright 2010 Thomas Paul Murphy