Edward Michael Supranowicz
Chubby Little Thing
for Steve Allen
In the woods behind my house,
half a mile from the Savannah River,
I hear the bellow of a buck. Googling
the white-tail deer I learn
that it’s rut season. So, I take
a deep dive into the world of deer
hormones. I am startled by a pairing
of two words— shedding
and velvet. This madness happens
a hundred yards from my bed,
yielding new sets of antlers. Complex
cascades of mating ensue. I learn
also, that it’s hunting season. Nothing
will stop hunters from getting
into the stand opening weekend. Trail
cameras show the trophy buck
behind the antlers. Look for the does,
the hunting websites advise—
let their estrus work for you. Again
I am startled by the cruelty
of this world as I read about the British
radio host who fixed his crosshairs
on Tilly Ramsay. Let’s never forget that
the taxidermist prepares for every girl.
Candice Kelsey teaches writing in the South. Her poetry appears in Poets Reading the News and Poet Lore among other journals, and her first collection, Still I am Pushing, explores mother-daughter relationships as well as toxic body messages. She won the 2019 Two Sisters Writing’s Contest and was recently nominated for both a Best of the Net and a Pushcart. Find her at www.candicemkelseypoet.com.
Edward Michael Supranowicz is the grandson of Irish and Russian/Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up on a small farm in Appalachia. He has a grad background in painting and printmaking. Some of his artwork has recently or will soon appear in Fish Food, Streetlight, Another Chicago Magazine, The Door Is a Jar, The Phoenix, and other journals. Edward is also a published poet.