the dog - poem

the dog



they promised me they'd take care of everything

feed her & care for her I said I didn't want one

as though we ever know what it is we want

in two years they were gone

& I had Simba all alone though really Simba had me

on the end of a leash almost every afternoon or evening

in a right-hand tug-of-war with the untamed feminine

more than once even knocked down

& in my left sometimes at night the jiggledy hodge-podge

curiosity of a hand-held light purposefully searching

for a way into darkness at the gravel edge of the world

the wind scowling stars blotted out

in the black hole heart of an incoming storm

walking the dog that's when I too grip

how strong's the bond between fetch & toss

bark & song


- art goodtimes, san miguel county, colorado

gourds@paleohippie.com