Collision

Away in the eyefar
nightrise over the sapwood, and one likes

under hooves the heatfeel after sun flees, heat stays on this

smooth to the hoof hardpan, part trail

part saltlick now as snowlast moults back

into the sapwood

to yard and rot

and one sees moonrise mounding

over a groundswell, but too soon and swifter

like never the moon one knows, no moon at all,

two moons fawned, both small, too hot, they

come with a growling and

hold one fast, so chafing for flight

but what, what, what, what

wondering--

and one can't move and can't although one

knows from backdays, eared and glimpsed

through sapwood  budwood  cracklewood  bonewood

flashes of this same Wolfing

                                                    now upon one, still

stalls the hooves on the saltlick and the eyebright

creature squeals       afraid?--and one somehow

uphoofed in a bound not chosen high as if to flee with no

trying, no feeling, fallen           flankflat, fawnlike

eyes above in the eyefar closing small

with the world

                            and now from the stopped thing

comes what      its cub?   legged up on its hinds,

kneels low to touch, but in that awful

touch, no feel       no fear to feel

no at all--