A prayer to keep the deer off the plants you like

Mama doe

Keeping a close ear on your babies

Who walk now with assurance and curiosity

Can’t you hear them eating the plants we like?

When they nibble each one they are training their bodies

To know what is good and what is not good

In a way that humans have almost entirely forgotten.

We salute your attunement

We know that you pick the foods that your bodies and spirits need

And that that is a lesson we too need to learn anew

We promise to work on that, we will also listen closely

To our hearts and our bellies and our other pieces parts

Who have something to say about what we ingest

Which is all of them.

If we agree to work on your lesson, then

We kindly ask that you leave these particular plants alone

[name them here]

Because we really like and need these ones out of all the plants that make up your dinner table

Please help us help you and mama earth

And leave these ones alone unless you really, really need them

We love you deer sisters and brothers

Thank you

[Btw the deer will probably ignore this, but there’s a chance they’ll respect a fence. Just a chance, though.]