QUIET GAZELLE

by Mariane Holbrook

You slipped without preamble
onto the edges of my life
with the quiet beauty
of a gazelle,
whose soft eyes
viewed my landscape,
then tentatively approached
to graze near my terrain,
sensing that a unique, loving bond
could be forged between us
of hope and trust
and shared pain.

Later on, 
you stood quietly, 
eyes brimmed with compassion, 
while I peeled away
layer after layer 
of veneer, of covering;
to expose a raw and bleeding core.
Then without a word 
you soaked some tender leaves
in that clear mountain lake
and applied a poultice
of love, of healing, of caring
to my wounded, hurting heart.