"I walk the fencerow with the men,blaze-orange vest draped like a gown.I am too young to have the gunin season when we are afield the string of pearls the wounds can make."
"Note: Scheduling complications prohibited us from being able to post audio with this poem. Apologies to our readers who look forward to experiencing our poetry that way. We welcome reader letters. Email High Country News at editor@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor. See our letters to the editor policy. This article appeared in the February 2026 print edition of the magazine. Spread the word. News organizations can pick-up quality news, essays and feature stories for free. Vanessa Stauffer is a writer and freelance editor. Born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, she lives in Windsor, Ontario. More by Vanessa Stauffer"
A youth walks the fencerow alongside men wearing blaze-orange vests that hang like gowns, blending utilitarian gear with ceremonial imagery. The youth is too young to carry a gun during hunting season and occupies the role of observer among experienced hunters. The landscape and bodies bear marks described as a "string of pearls," compressing injury and beauty into a small, intense image. The language juxtaposes belonging and exclusion, rural ritual and vulnerability, producing concentrated, image-driven lines that emphasize physical traces and the quiet tension of fieldwork.
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