A New Dawn

encircles the valley

with its burst

of sunlight – almost like

a lightning blitz

from tree to rocky shade

no more

and a partridge struts

in tempo with the warmth

caressing one side

of her -- cautious steps

seek an early worm.

Not far from her success

an antler-studded

buck inhales the chill

of morning air

stomps the ground

with a surety in

the knowledge

of ancestral reigns.

Earth is a love

affair in natural

ways as it has

been for generations

and that is

as it should be.