Doe in the Parking Lot By Gabriel Bates

There she is,

pacing around the dumpster.

I watch through the window

of my apartment

as she panics

at the sound

of her own hooves

on the concrete,

then darts

for the nearest thicket.

And as the white of her tail

disappears into the greenery,

I realize that we have

something in common—

neither of us

Were meant to end up here.

Gabriel Bates is a poet living in Pittsburg, Kansas. His work has appeared in several publications, online and in print. Keep up with him at facebook.com/gabrieljbates