SEEKING

by Jill Lange

after

Seeking

by Lynn Norwood-Lofton

a doe standing tall

nose pointing up

ears down, tail curled

as if reaching

for a branch

nearby another doe

equally proud and tall

facing the first

also looking up

neck slightly turned

like the two who come by

my yard on their travel

ravine to ravine

from my doorway I cannot

tell them apart

the first does to visit

stands tall like the statues

and tips the cylindrical birdfeeder

just so to spill all the seed

into her mouth

a smaller doe

often joins the two

and once tried her best

standing on her hind legs

to reach the seed

seeking is what does do

and the burden is heavy

perhaps the reason

our artist has placed

bundles of wheat on their backs

and because I worry so

about my visitors staying

together as a family, I am grateful

that this pair in the gallery must

be sold together.

Lynn Norwood-Lofton, Artist:

Living in the Cleveland area suburban ‘countryside’ for over 30 years, has provided me with the gift of observing nature and the magnificent creatures who visit us regularly.

Families of White Tailed Deer parade through the yard, with the fawns prancing and playing and Mom nearby, always vigilant.  The Bucks look for trees to rub their velvety antlers on.  These resplendent creatures have completely captivated me.

They embody qualities that seem to be a perfect metaphor for human life:

Mysterious, serene, cautious, delicate, strong, shy, powerful, alert,

sensitive, fragile, playful, and full of grace.

Jill Lange, Poet:  Jill comes to poetry from a varied background in art, English and environmental education; interior design; technical writing and editing; and poverty law specializing in immigration.  These influences including a life-long connection with nature and ongoing sense of social justice can be seen peppering her work.  For a number of years she served on the editorial committee for “Tributaries, a journal of nature writing” published by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  Currently, she is focusing on short poems, primarily haiku, senryu and tanka. Her work has been published widely in the US and internationally both online and in print.

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