June 16, 2017Poem

The sleeping dog

lossnaturecitypoliticsmemorytime

The sleeping dog

Lies peacefully

Barely breathing

A slight twitch of an eyelid

The flick of a tail

A ripple of the ribcage

What dreams are these

To move him so

A fear of mortality

The loss of a friend

Lover or child

How deep is this love

When all is done

His stomach is full

A walk in the rain

A rub down, a hug

To lie on the rug

In warm surety

Of his own security

Does he believe

In the future

Is there a concept of mind

If we could read his thoughts

What would we find

Will he weep

When the old man dies

For him, his death

Or his absence

If he dies first

The old man

Will soon follow

He has always said

He would rather be dead

Than be on his own

A lone wolf.