If you’re lucky enough to have happened upon a fawn hidden away in the woods or corner of a flower garden, then you know the flood of feelings that follow. Emotions that range from “how innocent and beautiful!” to “where’s mom?!”. Followed by wisdom passed down or read somewhere - “leave it alone! Mom will come back; all is well.” A doe routinely leaves her fawn somewhere safe while she goes away to feed. She’ll carefully return during the day to nurse, until dusk when she prods her fawn to follow her to a safe place for the night.
Fawns are born in May or June. Over the years, I’ve watched doe “present” their fawns when the little ones are big enough to jump and run. The presentation usually happens early on a June morning and always unexpectedly. The doe is there just long enough for all to view and smile before she and family disappear back into the woods. At birth, a fawn weighs about five pounds. The little one’s spotted coat (averaging 300 spots) serves as camouflage until about five months when the fawn’s first winter coat begins growing. Even though they seem so fragile, by three weeks, fawns can often outrun danger.
When I’m drafting something, especially poetry, those nascent lines are hidden away and carefully nurtured. The fact that I’ve even written something new stays hidden until I’m confident I can safely present my creation in the light of day for my trusted poet friends. That’s perhaps my main suggestion about new writing. If you’re like me, at the outset, neither of us are sure yet where a poem or story may go. Exposing our new work too soon can open the door to confusion - well-meaning feedback that can complicate the next writing steps. New work can bring up all the same feelings as discovering a fawn - amazement that it’s there, a sense of wonder, and worry that all will be okay. Here’s where finding the strength to be innocent and trusting comes in. You created this new work from a mysterious and wondrous source. Have the courage to bring your creations into the world, care for them, but also, sometimes, leave them safely alone. Your new writing will mature, gain strength, and come into its own over time. Trust in the process of growth - yours and your creations.
Photo credit: Contributing photo to Times News
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