Days 39 & 50
It’s not very COVID correct
But you have always loved deer
So this morning you go into the forest with your shotgun
A trophy is what consumes your waking hours
That you could wear as a crown or a cap in winter
Onto which you could even hang your coat
You already see his smile when you greet him in the morning
And so you’ll hurl Deer my beautiful deer
—Good but first: find one
You put on your gleaming boots
You put on your black coat because in it you look super strong
And the mask you made yourself because all the same
If you came across a pangolin
(Apparently it’s not bad in ragout)
You leave: the forest is three minutes away
In the light the tires the trees are
the color of coffee that sits in your stomach
Your view isn’t great but the early morning hour is best for crossing paths with the animal
You squint to not miss it
Behind each rustling leaf (what’s there?)
It could be a bug or a gendarme on lookout
Would miss more than this – already have – All right, focus
Ignore all those funny noises
And take this path that descends sloping gently and towards darkness
Shit you should have taken a dog, that’s what people do right?
One against the leg even without a sense of smell reassures
Jeanine’s poodle would have fit the bill – well
But they’ve separated, they couldn’t stand the lack of privacy
– Hold on something’s moving over there: bang!
Bang! This rings strangely in the air and in your head
And in front of you: blood! Blood!
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Samuel Deshayes and Guillaume Marie, french version here