Deer on Mill Hill at Nightfall

[Ca ne fait rien]

[[i]i]Revision- thanks all for suggestions. [/i]

[Deer on the edge of night

Across an ocean of grass,
I run to beat the darkness
falling fast.
Knees rip, ankles turn,
boots cockle in the furrows
of the stubble field;
up Mill Hill, feet heavy, clay clarted
from ploughed earth already chain-harrowed.
Blood pounds, seabreezes steal breath,
stop a moment. Gauge position.

Upwind,
three roe deer break cover
from twisted whitethorn,
freeze on the brow,
black against the violet sky.









Running home to beat the dark
across an ocean of meadow grass
knees rip ankles turn and tangle
boots stumble the furrows
along the stubble field.

On Mill Hill the earth is ploughed
already chain-harrowed. Blood pounds
seabreezes steal breath
feet heavy clay-clarted
stop a moment gauge position.

Up wind
three roe deer break cover
from twisted whitethorn bushes
freeze on the brow
black against the violet sky
poise on the point
of that split second
that separates
Day from night.

.




edited to fix spaces between hyphens