Me and Sam

A short walk,
just to watch your happy face.
Tail up high and wagging hard,
moving at a prancer’s pace.

Everything distracts you,
focus was never a strength.
What smells so interesting?
Grass clings to your teeth.

We play a little game
when you bring me the rope.
I always let you win
just so you don’t mope.

I love to watch you nap,
a coiled ball of paws and fur.
Even your dreams keep you active.
I swear, sometimes you purr.

After dinner cuddles,
our favorite thing to do.
Your slow breath on my chest
fills all of my heart’s room.

Long way home

We moved up the mountain. The height matched the vertical. The trail was rocky, rolling under my shoes.

You kept up with us. Your little, old paws padding through. Tongue hung out and a grin on your face.

Back at camp, everyone is exhausted. And you made it all the way. So tired is your body, splayed out on the bed. But so happy are the dreams dancing in your head.

Quiet nights

On this Monday
I sit on the couch
cushioned between two dogs.

The sun has set.
My evening dwindles.
Time never grows.

It’s quiet outside,
the aftermath settling
from a long needed rain.

One of the dogs
turns to me
eyes pondering.

The other is fast asleep
coiled lazily
into a mess of fur and paws.

In the engineered light,
my pen scratches the paper
thoughts formed into curves and lines.

Eyes wide open

There is so much power
in those eyes
staring back at me.
Dark globes wide open,
waiting so patiently.

I think you see more
than my skin.
Dependency and love
an unspoken connection
without touch.

There is no real language
between us.
But we still understand
the emotions and tones
that span.

Good Boy

There you sit on the deck,
paws so elegantly crossed.
Head held high,
observing your lot.
The breeze brings a scent
that distracts you
for but a second.
Ears perked tall,
the sound of a door
closing in the hall.
But funny you missed
the squirrel on the fence.
The warm sun
was just too much,
as your snout tipped down
and sweet sleep you found.

To my buddies…

Dogs are such an unexpected wonder.

Never could I have predicted the amount of joy,
warmth and boundless love
they bring me.

How they care about all the small things,
and the simplest
that make them happy.

Snuggles and cuddles,
to my favorite two.