I wrote this poem, “The Voice of a Roe Deer,” in loving memory of all the poor roe deer that gets caught, tortured, and killed in snares.

The Voice of a Roe Deer

I walk along the path

where I usually walk

I stretch out my neck

to reach a bud

Suddenly I can’t breathe

My heart beats fast

I panic

I feel something

something tight around my neck

I feel hysterical

I try to back away

It’s too late

I’m stuck

I walk in another direction

The grip around my neck gets tighter

and tighter

I can’t breathe

I try desperately to break free

but I can’t

I’m hurting

I’m suffering

After a while I realize

realize that I will die

my eyes get teary

I just wanted to eat

but now I’m stuck in a trap

a trap that a human has put here

I try to break free again

but I can’t flee

I can’t breathe

I’m stuck in this trap

I don’t have any more strength now

It starts to get blurry

I know my time has come now

I can never see my beloved again

We were going to meet in the clearing

where the blueberries grow

We love blueberry sprigs

We use to eat that when the sun sets

and look into each other’s eyes

I wish I could warn my beloved

to watch out for these traps

Soon I will take my last breath

soon my suffering is over

I see the light

An angel looks tenderly at me

She gives me a hug

She leads the way

away from the pain and suffering

The angel walk with me

over a rainbow to a meadow

The sun is shining

The birds are singing

I see my mother

She licks me on my forehead

I smile

I can breathe again

I feel safe

I look down at the earth

I see a tear in the eyes

in the eyes of my beloved

I whisper that I’m safe now

to ease the sadness and the fear

I’m only a Roe Deer

that wanted to live

live my life in peace

Instead, I met death

when I walked along the path

The human robbed me of my life

I had several more years to live

together with my family

Now they are sad

I try to ease their pain

by whispering in their ears

that I will always be with them

I’ll do my best to watch over them

and protect them

At the same time, I wonder

I wonder

What have we ever done to humans?

Why do they want to torture us?

Why do they want to kill us?

I don’t know

I guess they have never experienced

unconditional love

Because if you are blessed with the gift

to love across species

then you don’t kill animals

I’m happy to know that some people

are blessed with the gift

to love across species

I’m only a Roe Deer

that wanted to live without fear

and be with my dear