The Faces of Deer
by Mary Oliver
When for too long I don’t go deep enough
into the woods to see them, they begin to
enter my dreams.Yes, there they are, in the
pinewoods of my inner life. I want to live a life
full of modesty and praise. Each hoof of each
animal makes the sign of a heart as it touches
then lifts away from the ground.Unless you
believe that heaven is very near, how will you
find it? Their eyes are pools in which one
would be content, on any summer afternoon,
to swim away through the door of the world.Then, love and its blessing. Then: heaven.
…”in the pinewoods of my inner life...” was the phrase that returned to me, conjured when I spotted a sweet two-some this week:
Relaxing and reclining near our cherry tree. One with her eyes on me, wondering if I was about to disturb their respite and the other with eyes fixed on the field, on the lookout for coyotes, perhaps? They’ve been out during daylight hours recently, which is concerning.
Seeking camouflage within and amidst our various pinewoods.
They weren’t alone in their subterfuge. My dear friend Wynne’s doggo, Cooper, was caught in a peek-a-boo pose this week and the similarity to the deer made me smile:
Signs of heart? Absolutely, yes.
-Vicki 😊
Lagniappe? Here are two favorite posts about deer-ly beloveds…just for fun:
Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press.
Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.
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Victoria Ponders 
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