Harty the Hunter

Harty the hunter is heartfelt, handsome and hardy

He is rugged, ragged, lean and tall

This is Harty's season, as it is fall

He is clad in camouflage, metal in hand

Dark stubble lines his chiselled chin

His eyes are tired, skin filled with lines

Old in years, though youthful in mind

Harty is strong in body and character

Deep within nature, Harty feels at home

He always finds the ideal spot to roam

As he wanders through the wondrous wilderness

He is as silent as a prancing cougar or lioness

Though his boots are heavy, he remains light-footed

As Harty saunters

He is bewildered and bombarded by the beauty that abounds

He stops to soak in what surrounds

Listening intently to the sounds

An untrained ear would never hear

Quietly tracking footprints

Foraging for those who frolic in the forest

He makes a deer call into the wind

His piercing eyes are on constant alert

Curious for what's around the next corner

Patiently calculating

Prideful when providing

He comes to a clearing

Evergreens tower in the distance while

Saplings, ferns and other foliage glisten

In the amber rays of a sun almost set

The hunter ceases and listens

A rustle draws his attention

Antlers are spotted

Three knocks for three years

Ammunition is loaded,

A single shot is fired

Accurate and fatal

Harty kneels at his kill

And sheds a single tear

Then thanks mother nature

For this chance to provide sustainable sustenance

He marches out of the forest

Large cargo across his tired back

Since the outset, he has not yet had a rest

But he trudges on

Does what needs to be done

Now that he has received for which he has come

He is content and sets home to return to his loved ones