we flippantly go

When I get restless lately I've been forcing myself outdoors; I walk, meander, stroll, run, skip, do whatever I can to let go of that restless feeling that steels in. Last night I went back to a new favorite spot and hiked; walked circles familiarizing myself with the bumps and moss covered rocks, the trees and bushes. As I settled onto the ground I noticed that the three deer (who first made their appearance when there was still snow on the ground) were across the way from me. I watched as three turned into five, five turned into four--the skittish one running away at the first sign of a car. We studied each other and neither seemed to mind the other, so we went about our business; the deer ate grass and rye, natural lawn mowers; I sat and envied the sky its colors, the wind its gusts, and the deer their flippant white tails.

"Afternoon on a hill"

I will be the gladdest thing  
    Under the sun!  
I will touch a hundred flowers  
    And not pick one.  
  
I will look at cliffs and clouds
    With quiet eyes,  
Watch the wind bow down the grass,  
    And the grass rise.  
  
And when lights begin to show  
    Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,  
    And then start down!

 --Edna St. Vincent Millay