In the predawn, they cross from
the Herefords’ pastures into the oil fields,
headlights picking up the high white
tails only seconds away, brakelights glowing
like red tails behind. Which of us watches
the world go by? Do they count cars, tally
mark branches? Giggle behind the shadows
of their long ears as they tiptoe into the soon
to be sunrise? Watchers or watched, we’ve added
these deer, panned and edited them into the kept frames,
so that even now in the sudden heat of an October
afternoon, they are part of how we saw the world
today, more perfect for their joining.