Toward the evening of a chilly winter day in December, I bound on a usual saunter in the wooded seclusion of the town cemetery. With my usual routing, I walk from the gates, around the small bend and toward the west fence to observe the grey squirrels and listen to the symphonies of bird song. From here, about a quarter-mile of road leads to fields not populated with stones. The sun sets behind the tree line at this location, yet the open fields resemble shiny stones glistening in the earlier light. Now, as the sun will set soon, the empty fields may entice some magnificent creatures to come feast upon the grasses. 

Deer are an enticing population. I usually observe them in the countryside having fright at the smallest nuisance. Yet here, they need not worry of incursion. They are accustomed to our presence and may walk near me, elegantly yet carefully, as to not engage with a threat. The mighty buck will stand guard. Thumping the ground when there is a sense of danger nearby. The buck once had done this toward me, and yet, we both stand ground, as we both may not know of the other’s intention. I had not come to impose a threat, only to observe these creatures of God. And the buck may not think of me as one threat, yet a prose of ones that may happen.

On seven of ten walks, I will see the deer grazing the meadows. I had learned of their time frame, not just through any usual experiences. Not long before this evening, merely some months before, I had met a strange yet fascinating lady. I had not caught her name, yet, I feel there is no need to have. Her character and knowledge can give her a description better than any label or name ever can. She sat upon a stone bench - one across from the meadows where the deer graze. She was elderly, yet frail, and wore a black and blue hand-knit shawl and black head cover. She had certainly seen better days past, yet did not reflect it in her time at the bench.

What I had not noticed at first was the small bag of corn sitting beside her. She had been one to feed these creatures. I am not one to condone the forced feeding of the sacred wild beasts, as their behavior is sure to be more influenced to assume other visitors will repeat. Yet, this woman was unlike others. She did not simply drop the crumbles on the ground. Nay, she had called upon one doe to come to feed straight from her hand! I was aghast to this. Not simply from the act of feeding by hand, but that the doe answered promptly and simply trotted over. The bucks did not pose her as any threat, no thumping, no iron gazes. 

I waited for the passing minutes, as she fed two more deer - one more doe and even one of the bucks. I wait for the small herd to trot back into the hardwoods. I approached the woman, not with any disgrace to her actions, but praise. I said, “How can these wild beasts listen to your command as though they are domesticated?” She simply looked at me and replied, "Patience, dear boy, and learn from their way.” I looked at her with a puzzled expression, yet, she could see that I had wanted to learn of her understanding of the deer. She then said, “Look at the evening hours, and study them. Come often, and allow them to acquaint themselves, as if you’re one of them. Only then can you start to see the true essence.” I hesitantly knew this would have to satisfy me. As she then walked off, I sensed something more than the average human in her soul.

As her advice may be true in some form, I know she had a connection with those deer. Whether it be through God or not, I do not know. However, one thing is very certain, even though I hadn’t seen her since that one evening, my experience with her would only be once in a lifetime. After then, I returned many times to see the deer in a new light. I knew I would never have an experience quite the same, yet I did start to study the deer. I say, as they are magnificent creatures, our existence is transparent to them, yet theirs is opaque to us. As they may be messengers of the heavens, heeding us warnings of dangers near. All I know now, is that the deer woman pose never a threat to us or them.

MATTHEW MALCOLM