All week I have been hungry for spring,
Impatient with the snowy view outside our windows,
Eager for the spring thaw that brings freedom from our stuffy house,
Antsy to stretch my legs and walk miles outside in the fresh air.
This morning, eight deer graced the winter vista outside the living room window,
They pawed through the snow, finding little to eat.
One yearling fawn mouthed a tree branch and stood two-legged,
Then dropped on all fours, still wrestling with the woody, bitter morsel.
From the warmth of my living room, I watched the shivering animals
Wander across the yard, through the hedge, and across our driveway.
They looked for greener pastures, shorter trees, and tender twigs–
These winter-starved creatures, hungry for spring in ways I hope to never know.
