A Hunter's Morn

A Hunter’s Morn Before the dawn the hunter came upon his stand and spot proclaimed His alone to hunt for game in a forest damp that had no name He settled in to watch and wait He never lured the deer with bait The morn arrived, no sound he made as the woods awoke to the call of day He cherished every sound he heard From acorns falling to the singing birds And there he sat and barely stirred Bowed his head in unspoken word The hours passed with no game in sight So he went deeper into the trees of might Came to clearing bathed light Then heard some movement to his right For a moment he stood still as stone Then he took the steps to the unknown Quietly with motions slow He parted the grasses and there was shown Not a buck with antlers spread He lowered his gun and smiled instead A doe with fawn had made her bed And there they laid no fear or dread He could have shot her without care He had his gun and was prepared But he knew at once it wasn’t fair To take the doe away from there He let himself enjoy the scene Embraced the moment so serene And knew that fawn might someday be A full grown buck he’d one day meet With the sun now shining at his back He returned to his trodden tracks He stopped at the stream to enjoy a snack daydreaming about a nice big rack His mind was filled with peaceful thought His silent gun no bullets shot He thanked God for that private spot Where the cycle of life was not forgot