In this new mid-February snow  
a doe drew a line of footfalls
where the hayfield leans
against the bordering pines,

and before the sun climbs
high enough to wash away
the shade that shows the curve
of each depression left

by her silent writing,
you’ll need to rise and see
the valentine we made —
the deer who shaped with care

this string of heart-formed marks,
and I, who hoped to shape
this moment into something
you might wish to share.

—

Kevin Casey has contributed poems to recent editions of Green Hills Literary Lantern, Hartskill Review, Rust + Moth, San Pedro River Review, and other publications.  His new chapbook “The wind considers everything –” was recently published by Flutter Press, and another from Red Dashboard is due out later this year.