Red Fox at Dawn

Red fox at dawn
Picks its way across dewy ground
Leaving footprints
His fur gleams
Like fire
In the rising sun
As if he groomed it
Just for this.
Ears pricked high
His tail a banner for
All to see
Proud of himself
But not vain
How could he be vain?
A red fox all alone
Then joined
By another.
She turns
A signal passes.
Then.
Wait.
Cautiously
At first
Then faster
Come little
Fox kits
Throwing themselves
On the
Wet grass
Delighted.
Then the sun comes
Kisses them good morning
And sets their coats on fire
For all to see.
They hold their heads high
Then disappear the way they came
It would all have been a dream
But for the footprints left on the lawn