elk

the moon is a faded
lingering imprint of chalk
in the evening sky and
the elk are bordered
by the stamp of pines at
the far edge of the clearing
and the shoulder of the
highway a hundred yards away.

the man and woman
take turns with the
binoculars.  when magnified,
they notice that the elks’ coats
are sloughing hair the
color of burnt crimson.  small
pieces of fur loiter and
then fall like snow to the ground.

when she passes the binoculars
to him, she places the straps
around his neck without asking.
he notices this in a small part
of his stomach, how there
is no need for words
between them but instead
only the phrases of their limbs.