I doubt that she,
or any of the others,
ever think about it.
Somehow,
when younger,
she injured one leg,
she could not
use it at all,
never put weight on it.
We kept hoping
it would get better,
but it never did,
and then
we feared
she was doomed.
This was
several years ago.
Now ―
a great-grandmother,
having raised fawns
almost every year,
Now ―
the matriarch
of a small herd
of beautiful does,
Now ―
still able
to feed and breed
and even run quickly
on three legs,
she just
carries on,
she just
endures,
she just
continues
to live fully.
John Cannon
Shenandoah Valley, VA