Thaw

As the hunters gather in the square

Sounds of the spring give way to howling of hounds

A somber call rings over the land as the party enters the forest

A small creek, silently thawing, gently caresses the flowers

Muddy footprint followed by the steady trail of hooves

A shot rattles the forest, the hounds jump on a bleeding buck

Hunter has food, spring has come

The cycle continues

For where there's life, the struggles of the world stay alive

Hunters baby has food, the buck has lost his dad

When one life ends, another begins

So it has been ordered.