Hunting
Dave Oakes
When I was a very small child
I always looked forward to our trips
Up into the mountains looking for deer
With rifles loaded we were ready to rip.
Sitting with a good view of the waterhole
Too far away for them to smell us first
We could just pick the one we want and shoot
Getting our quota while they came from thirst.
As I was moving into my young teenage years
I questioned the sport of killing that way one day
Anyone who wasn’t completely careless or stupid
Could shoot a deer from a mile and a half away.
I decided I would never hunt with a gun again
The bow and arrows I had mastered would do the trick
Had to be careful so you could get close enough to kill
It took several years before this started to make me sick.
I had begun to notice how beautiful these deer I killed were
Along with all the other animals and the forests itself
Why take away a life which causes nothing but beauty
When I was fully grown up I put my weapons on the shelf.
