Long Hair
Hunting Season:
Once every year, the Deer catch human beings.They
do various things which irresistibly draw men near them;
each one selects a certain man. The Deer shoots the man,
who is then compelled to skin it and carry its meat home
and eat it. Then the deer is inside the man. He waits and
hides in there, but the man doesn't know it. When
enough Deer have occupied enough men, they will strike all
at once. The men who don't have Deer in them will
also be taken by surprise, and everything will change some.
This is called “takeover from inside”.
Deer Trails:
Deer trails run on the side hills
cross country access roads
dirt ruts to bone-white
board house ranches,
tumbled down.
Waist high through manzanita,
Through sticky, prickly, crackling
gold dry summer grass.
Deer trails lead to water,
Lead sideways all ways
Narrowing down to one best path –
And split –
And fade away to nowhere.
Deer trails slide under freeways
slip into cities
swing back and forth in crops and orchards
run up the sides of schools!
Deer spoor and crisscross dusty tracks
Are in the house: and coming out the walls:
And deer bound through my hair.
.
by Gary Snyder