Our car is skiing down an icy road in the Catskill mountains on the first day of the year, when my husband jams on the brakes and whispers,
Look.
Staring at us from the tangled woods is a massive deer, with a gaze so fierce and maternal, all the hair rises on my body, and I lose my words.
Beauty, my husband breathes.
A deep thirst suddenly parches my throat, a lifetime of longing to be fed, to be held, to be loved, and I choke.
The deer stares, unblinking.
Then, just as fast, another appears; a young buck, out of the glittering trees.
Then, a little sister, a regal doe.
Up springs the bug-eyed baby, and my heart floods.
Then, holy! A massive buck with a missing ear. Could he be their Dad?
Tears. I am missing my own.
The dying sun paints the forest gold.
My hand curls into my husband’s. We hold our breath, we are in this together.
Five feral deer stand in a perfect circle, facing us, on the tips of their hooves and the edge of a dream. A family of such exquisite presence, completely tuned in to the here and now.
The mountain air hums. We are found and we are lost.
The first and most vigilant deer, sensing the depth of my yearning, gives me a look of such savagery, I know she is the Mom.
A flicker of sun on an icy branch.
In the blink of an eye, back into the woods, they are gone.
Laughter bursts in the car, a deep, wild joy, and my words home.
Oh, my people, we are not alone.
Drawing by Keyvan Mahjoor. I wrote about him in To Iran, With Love. For more of his amazing work, click here.
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GOOD NEWS FLASH: I just bumped into Joe the hugger at the café and after our hug, asked him for some good news. He told me it’s very radical. We live in absolute perfection, and we don’t know it. Most of us are asleep, but it’s never too late to wake up.
On that note, I urge you to read the late, great Farley Mowat’s People of the Deer. An amazing story of people whose entire existence depended on the caribou. A classic in the we better get-our-shit-together and save-the-planet genre. Let me know what you think.
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44 Responses to Deer People
so wonderful!
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It sure felt good.
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Glorious beauty.
Did I ever tell you? In the middle of a warm summer night I snuck to the bathroom window and looked out to see a horned buck, a doe and three smaller deer silhouetted in the lamplight from the street. Then a fourth fawn walked into the light. And that was when I knew, that the impossible had happened and I was pregnant with my fourth. Thank you for bringing that memory alive with your gorgeous writing.
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Please tell this wondrous story on your blog. A classic for your baby!
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Brenda, I added a note to your FB page suggesting you check out OM Film Festival. There’s a FB page and website: http://www.omfilmfest.com/
We’re gathering independent filmmakers for a festival. Please think about submitting a piece. I like the way you write.
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Thanks, Janet! Will check it out.
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Such great play with words! I loved each. When I lived in Virginia, a family crisscrossed our yard at mid-morning and dusk. I have yet to see a deer in my Delaware backyard.Miss those dears.
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Magic is everywhere.
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Where I am originally from deer were always on our minds from fall until Spring. Now that i live in the southern states I am thankful I don’t see them as often. The damages to cars is so much. I am glad you were ok
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I never felt danger on that mountain road, the distance between us was respectful. People have different experiences with deer. Where were you from originally, with deer so often on your mind?
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I was wanderlust, struck, and in that moment, you. Beautiful!
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Beautiful is right. I couldn’t ask for more.
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hi brendale, i could feel my hair standing on end as the deer came closer and when they walked away i breathed a sigh of relief. beautiful story real or not. love mom
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All real, through my eyes. Thanks, Mom!
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We call my sister ‘Eskie”. She was born in Fairbanks, AK. I remember -40 days being common and the winds added to that. Miserable but memorable/
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Coming from Australia, having never seen a deer in real life, I wasn’t aware that they could be dangerous. I had some Bambi-fied idea going on I suppose. Still, they appear in my mind as lithe and gentle, trustworthy.
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I am no specialist, but in all my deer sightings, I have never had a bad experience. Seems to me that if we respect their boundaries (and our own), we will likely stay out of trouble. Welcome, Jailouise!
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Sounds like the way to go Burns the Fire.
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Beautiful Brenda – I resonated with the instant of connection – seeing that savage, strong love standing before you – and fierce it is.
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Connection is the word.
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Delightful to read. Every word woven into a magical and beautiful tapestry. Did you see this family up North in the Laurentians? In Saint-Sauveur, every time I spot a deer family I count myself lucky to behold their otherworldliness.
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Otherworldly is a great word, especially for those of us in the city. We saw the deer in the Catskill mountains, in Woodstock, New York. My husband saw wild turkeys, too. It’s the animal kingdom!
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One of those moments that will never let go. Gorgeously told and illustrated.
Magic mountains!
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Magic, indeed.
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Gorgeous, Brenda! We have a lot of deer in our neighborhood, and sometimes the connection is so tangible and perfect… loved this piece.
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So pleased you enjoy it, Dawn, and have had similar encounters I’d love to hear about…
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Beautifully told and beautifully accompanied by Keyvan’s drawing. Thank you!
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Thanks, Catherine!
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Deer Brenda,
What I love most about this is that it’s such a heartwarming humdinger of a blog post, whereas the outcome of a car/deer encounter could always wind up as very sad news for either party or both parties involved. Keep turning dark to light with the fires that burn on this here internet oasis.
Ez
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It never occurred to me that it could end badly. Thanks, Ez!
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Seeing beauty in nature, especially wild life, is a gift! And here, you witnessed a whole family. What a cherished moment and beautiful post, Brenda.
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My husband is an animal magnet and the fun never ends. Thanks so much, Amy.
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My husband is like that too, especially with cats.
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This is lovely. Although we have plenty of deer around us–they even hop our fence and get into our yard (and we live in a town!)–there’s still something so majestic about them. Seeing a family of deer together does indeed make one pause and admire their beauty.
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Part of me wanted to disappear into the woods with them. Thanks, Carrie!
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A beautiful encounter. They can get to us, the creatures of the wild …. Farley Mowatt’s book on the ‘deer people’ was the saddest book – how the people were sold out by an uncaring government. It’s the worst aspects of westernisation that we marginalise vulnerable ethnic cultures.
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Welcome, Urban Wild! The people of the deer were sold out and their story lives on.
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What a wonderful experience it must have been – maybe with the exception of the car skiing down the hill… We do need to take care so this does’t disappear, don’t we!
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The experience was so otherwordly, I’m surprised that I found words to describe it. Yes, we desperately need to take care. Spread the word!
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Encounters with nature can be so powerful, at times full of whimsy and at other times it can seem as if an archetype has risen up to confront us. Living here in Northern Ontario, we are still constantly surprised by nature and its unexpected turns.
Lovely choice of art.
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There is poetry everywhere. Thanks and welcome!
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Mesmerizing and magical.
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Exactly my experience. Thank you, and welcome to BTF!
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