Wilderness Ways

The rabbit knows the hawk is there,
the hawk sees where the rabbit hides,
the wilderness sustains the pair
with no pretense of choosing sides.

Nor does the deer choose hunter’s ways
though hunter tracks a heart to death,
but hunted nor the hunter stays
the talon’s plunge, the arrow’s breath.

    Original Citation

    Commonweal (26 Mar. 1965) 13.

    Word Count
    51
    Original Publication
    Date Published
    1965
    Complete Poems
    159
    Theme(s)
    First Line
    The rabbit knows why the hawk is there
    Poetic Form
    closed
    Twitter Quote
    The rabbit knows the hawk is there, / the hawk sees where the rabbit hides