A Doe and Her Fawn

A Doe and Her Fawn On wobbly legs, the fawn staggers behind the doe, Who pauses to let the newborn catch up. The fawn appears to be just a few hours old, As revealed by its arduous locomotion, And the white, freckled spots on its back Melded into its butterscotch-coloured fur coat. The fawn’s softly adoring oversized eyes Plead for nourishment, And the whitetail deer doe (patient as mothers go) Licks her offspring, bonding, and cleaning, As it instinctively nudges her teats with its nose To stimulate her mammary glands. The fawn suckles the mother’s milk, Which provides it with the nutrients to grow. The doe stares at me without fear And lets the fawn satiate its hunger. Its little head bobbing and its tail flagging As its craving is abated and appetite satisfied; It is contented and ready to continue its journey In the ways of nature and survival. The doe slowly moves on as the fawn struggles (Those steps must seem an eternity to complete, Requiring a great magnitude of expendable energy), Which the doe senses, and so she lies down, And the fawn, from all fours, plops down Beside her for a much-needed rest.