The Deer Wife

The Deer Wife

by Wendy Howe

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter. -Proverbs 6:5

Bear sons. Bind roses on cloth

with the needle’s thread. Braid

and unbraid hair. Look good by the light

of window or hearth-- but say nothing

of the forest.

Open a prayer book, sit

and pretend to read when legs

want to leap as those of a doe

defying steep hill and stone chasm,

when the soul needs to shift

molding the shape of her grace

into something wild, furtive.

How dare you ask this of me

when you know I was never tamed

by keys and clocks, psalms or spindle,

when you know I was raised by the crone,

an orphan she found

under fir trees where the deer

and wood pigeons fled.

How dare you ask this of me

when you said you didn’t care

but simply wanted a fair bride

to steal your breath, to share meals

sweetened with wine and fruit.

A maiden’s shy smile.

How can you ask this of me

when you know I'm more hoof than heel

growing cold within these walls -- wanting

my pelt of fur, not shelter

that will lay your lady to rest

in her own sheet of skin?

How can you ask this of me?

I weep --

with yet a knife to clean

and a tray of unpeeled apples.

* * *

Wendy Howe is an English teacher and free lance writer who lives in Southern California with her partner. Her poetry reflects her interest in myth, diverse landscapes and ancient cultures. Over the years, she has been published in an assortment of journals both on-line and in print. Among them: The Linnet's Wings, Ariadne's Thread, The Tower Journal, Strange Horizons, Niteblade, Goblin Fruit, Mythic Delirium, Stirring A literary collection, Yellow Medicine Review and elsewhere. Recently, her work has been featured in several themed anthologies exploring myth, nature and dementia.

What do you think is the most important aspect of a fantasy poem?

I think the most important aspect of a fantasy poem is how the mythic or fantastical element connects to the human condition and reflects the emotions and instincts we experience in our everyday lives. Shape shifting is a dominant factor in many of my poems; but I strive to show how this ability enables the character to cope and survive, to grow and define one's sense of individualism. The magic in the fantasy poem transcends its physical presence in the theme/plot and reveals the hidden miracles of existence, the possibility for change and transformation.