i
Pit stop trailside, I
Walk through the tall grass, then squat –
Soft brown eyes meet mine.
Tan fur, curled and spotted, rests.
My bizness done, we part ways.
ii
Mother looks both ways,
crosses country road at dusk –
fawns dawdle after.
She shows the way through the fence
And where to lie on dry leaves.
Frank J. Tassone is the host of Haikai Challenge. Frank says:
This week, write the haikai poem of your choice (haiku, senryu, haibun, tanka, haiga, renga, etc.) that alludes to the fawn (Kanoko).
Mish is today’s host for dVerse’ Open Link Night.
Tao Talk 
Lovely poem Li.
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Thank you, Sadje :)
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You’re welcome 😉
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Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #3: Jade Li’s latest #tanka for my current #Haikai Challenge!
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Gentle words. (K)
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:)
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Nice.
I miss seeing deer. They used to get caught in our yard once in a while when I was growing up in a hilly area in L.A. Confused by the chain link fence and bounding around, trying to find the opening again…
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It’s amazing how athletic and graceful they are. There are lots of them around here. They come at dusk to nibble the grass in the back field. They also come from across the street at certain times and pass through. I just happened to see a group of them going through a gap in the fence the other morning which inspired part of one of the poems.
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Aw…so nice. I do miss it! We just see some poor skinny coyotes once in a while near Griffith Park around here.
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So amazing to see the, I have deer in my garden most days, and working from home I only have to look out of the window to see them… but the fawn they keep hidden.
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I like to think of you, looking out your window, at the deer.
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Nice description of the surprise meeting of the young deer in the first section.
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Thank you, Frank. Fawns are such quiet gentle beings, not upset by a surprise visitor at all.
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Two terrific and tight tankas. More than just lovely, there’s a great sense of place and special event.
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Glad you like them, Glenn :)
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I have never seen a fawn in the wild, but I would love to!
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I’ve never seen one tiny and curled up like that, but I’ve seen them following their mother. I’ve never seen a Great Horned Owl, Linda (I’ve heard one out back) and would love to see one!
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Haha! Yes, it was spectacular, like a surreal dream.
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I like the lightheartedness of this piece.
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Thank you.
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An intimate encounter! Delightful.
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Glad you liked it, Beverly!
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This reminds me of the deer family that used to visit our front yard to eat the new growth. Lovely.
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:) Glad it reminded you, Ali.
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I love the part where she shows the way through the fence and where to lie on leaves.
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Thanks Colleen.
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I love the precision of your words and all they convey. What a lovely journey.
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Thank you, Victoria :)
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kaykuala
Mother deer train their broods on simple ways to survive just as our mothers do. Very warm recollections, Jade on recent Mother’s day!
Hank
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Thank you, Hank, yes they do. Glad you enjoyed the poems.
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Both poems are beautiful, Li. Magical. :)
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Thank you, Kitty :)
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You are welcome, Li. :)
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This is lovely, Lisa! Deer roam around our garden almost every day, and one or two have even been born in it. I love how the first poem needs no more setting than ‘Pit stop trailside’ and ‘tall grass’ and your reader is squatting with you – and what a close encounter! The second poem is a wonderful snapshot – so realistic and immediate.
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Kim thank you :)
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:)
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I liked the simplicity of nature described here, the gentle connection made in the first and a beautiful scene of motherhood in the second.
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Thank you, Mish.
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Likedthem both muchly, but especially the first. Love how the circumstances of what you were doing froze you in place long enough to realize what a precious and amazing moment/gift you’d been givem, None of that said but it was all there!
Blessings!
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<3 I love your comment, Christine. A gift in and of itself.
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