Canzoniere 8: The Hunter

By Micah Towery

Disturbed awake by thoughts of you,
he rose early
to the game lands
in those foothills where 
the lovely huntress of his heart 
first graced the world
benign with her prowess.  

Then, we were free—
without undue exertion, 
as every being desires to be. 
We had no human fears 
that the decoy wasn’t what it seemed. 

Now that we’ve been skinned 
and chopped, our innards trussed 
and pinioned—now, our only comfort is 
that he who trapped us still 
retains the human curse:  

bound by a stronger chain,
he roves each sleepless morning
among the valleys and mountains, 
which he took from us from.