Canadian Moose

                I didn't expect to find a moose
                on the busy streets of Montreal,
                except on the backs of quarters,
                but I sure as heck expected to
                see a moose or two beneath a tree
                way up in Nova Scotia deep in
                the damp and northern forests,
                lush with bracken ferns and thistle.
                We walked for miles on end upon
                a winding highland trail above
                the sea whose waves did crash
                on the cliffs below, but we saw no
                moose, not even a calf traipsing in
                the brush. Not until we just about
                returned to our lonely car, did
                we discover a cow and calf moose
                with dark brown coats steaming
                in cold yet delightfully fragrant air
                while munching calmly on salty grass.

                                        by Richard F. Fleck