Hutinashro

Late in the day or afternoon From windows in our living room We watch deer begin to gather Leaping over fences in fields Searching eagerly for their meals To our front porch they meander Mothers protective of their fawn Will hide them in brush all day long Clear skies or inclement weather They watch us and nearer venture On alert for signs of danger Beginning March to September Late in the day or afternoon Unless noise scares them off soon Some two to twelve whitetailed deer Nibble tender sprouts of green grass Or fresh-cut hay and sassafrass It's common for them to appear In gardens or fields of soybeans Or frozen in our headlight beams Which can cause us panic and fear If it is in the dead of night Or maybe right before daylight Forcing vehicles to steer clear Running deer are graceful and swift Depends on how contact is made Both a delight and a real risk May 14, 2018 Hutinashro Contest by Connor Lotts - Iambic Tetrameter 2 stanzas 12 lines each 8 syllable lines AABCCBDDBEEB 3rd stanza ABA