Tristan Robert Lange

Oh Dear!

ACT I: The Woodland

Sunny skyways make for a great day trip;

The breeze swirling in wisps around the land,

Mountains skyward kiss the blue’s lower lip

As earth’s veins flow from here to ocean sand.

Birdies fly in the vast expanse above,

Woodland creatures frolic beneath my hooves—

It’s the run I find really cool, love—

Getting my firm hooves into the wild grooves.

Which brings me to this oddity I’ve found—

It’s black and hard and filled with lots of crud—

My hooves click and they clack unlike the ground,

And the reminiscent scent of lifeblood.

I’m not sure what to make of this strange find,

I guess we will cross and pay it no mind.

ACT II: The Crossing

Now, little fawn, we must cross this quickly,

Get to the other side and explore those things—

Before a fast blur hits and really stings—

Those big and hard boxes that look sickly.

Avoid those bushes, they look real prickly—

A click and a clack, that sound really sings.

Okay, we cross and see what our trip brings;

That’s it, small one, build your legs up thickly.

Oh dear, now that we are here, it’s now clear,

There’s one of those stoop people right there!

It’s okay, precious one, though there’s need to fear;

Remember, they are humans, we are deer...

Stay close to me, they might stay unaware;

If they don’t, we must break for it clear.

ACT III: The Encounter

Fern it! Forgive me, little one, I slipped,

As that human has now become aware

That we are approaching with cautious care;

It’s standing, moving closer; oops, it slipped,

For it never cleared that seat and it tripped.

Keep moving, little spotted one, don’t stare

At it or it will come here like a bear.

See what I mean, I have not merely quipped,

That thing is heading right on over here,

With a shiny, thin, weird box on a stick.

Quick, run, this is our chance to get out now.

Look, there’s the woods, away from where it’s clear.

We can reach it quick , which will be our fix.

Hide in our home with no sweat off their brow.

ACT IV: Memories Materialize

As we run, my dearest one, I’ll quick say—

Careful as we’ll cross more of that hard junk—

The world around us once wasn’t this way,

It was green, blue, brown without this funk.

That’s right, my fawn, this you really should know—

That black stuff’s closer, keep your head up—

Through here the water used to flow,

And trees towered so tall, so high.

Cousin beaver made dams,

Sister squirrel just loved her nuts,

The bear, well he was always a bother...

Human comes, don’t slow down.

Remember this, young girl,

Mommy tells truth.

ACT V: Crossing Over

Keep going, sweet one, the time has arrived,

We can make it clear before it comes here—

We are quicker, that’s why we have survived—

But we should still keep a good dose of fear.

Once more, let’s cross over to the far side,

Then we can get into the wooded dark—

You need to hurry to protect your hide—

This here, my daughter, is no place to park.

More clicks and more clacks, more clicks and more clacks—

I’m close to the other side, keep your stride—

That is the sound of our hooves at our backs.

Oh, bog! A blur coming from your blind side.

The horror, the horror has now become

The fact that the blur killed you, my only one.

© 2026 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.

First published on tristanrobertlange.com, July 1, 2026.

Tittu

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SEASONS, a psychedelic musical journey, has been released.

If you enjoy my writing, I\'d love for you to check out my new album, Seasons, for FREE as well as on my Bandcamp. You may recognize songs such as Shifting Spring and Summer Storm, both which were soft released here earlier this spring and last summer, respectively.

This music is offered without a paywall. If it speaks to you, take it. If you\'d like to support my work, you are welcome to pay whatever you feel it is worth. My hope is not simply to sell music, but to share it. I would rather these pieces be heard than hidden behind a price.

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