coats shaggy, shedding winter coats

antlers in bud, not yet showing age

two bucks sharing a glade

the leaves fresh and green, delicious

they paused their lunch to watch

eyes measuring just as ours measured

with a flick of their tails and shift

of their ears returned to their meal

We were nonthreatening

our eyes measuring the wonder

of bucks sharing a meal

though not oblivious to presence

they continued the meal

cleaning one limb, moving to the next

unbothered by the spectators

yet we knew they knew

as we broke our pause to continue

one buck looked up, ears focused

acknowledging our presence

before we moved, sharing the moment