[asylum]

He hurried up his broken gait to close the gap on our chosen prey,
it ran away through the forest kicking up leaves in a hopeless race.
As I caught a glimpse of his frozen face’s motionless gaze, it guided my eyes,
toward a thicket where they disappeared one by one to my surprise.
As the last white tail vanished into the brush we quietly stood,
one by one silently moving into position throughout the woods.
They went above and to each side as I wove ferns into my only clothing,
and sunk between a forked tree and blended in one ghostly motion.
Springtime pollen exploded from the duff under their feet,
almost enough to almost make me sneeze.
As my tongue brushed the roof of my mouth,
I breathed deep enough for some relief.
The bucks were in rut and skin hung from their bloody antlers,
they strutted in the open for a moment, an explosion of arrows our only answer.
Their Alpha screamed in a guttural yell as his does fell beside him,
and we strode across the scene cutting their necks with excitement.