to start with, our dogs are large
(and they're not mine, not really)
(is lightning mine? laughter?)
(the river water?)
not the biggest dogs:
this is not a size contest
but
they are very large
and white in color
he is louder
she is wilder
they could eat the moon
it is almost here
the days being compressed
towards the nadir of winter
like living in a building where
the upper floors
descend so far
you can't avoid
their darkness
you just wait it out
my dogs are not satisfied
they are poking me
let's walk, they stare
let's run, they glare
let's play, they dare
i go to work in the dark
i come home in the dark
we don't care
they declare
let's walk, they stare
let's run, they glare
let's play, they dare
it's cold
it's wet
so dark
we don't care
they declare
let's walk, they stare
let's run, they glare
let's play, they dare
i let them out into the yard
to shit and piss
and then i let them back in the house
over and over, over and over
send rover on over
send rover on over
let's do it again and again
i know in my bones that it's not enough
that a walk is what they want
or to murder a poor rat
or to bark, endlessly bark
though i give them a small portion of biscuit
when they come back in
they sit expectantly
then consume it easily
this reward
this bribe
this crumb, left before eternity's gate
this small portion
less than a week from now is
the shortest day of the year
i will leave for it a small piece of time
somewhere in the dark
i will hold the solstice so close
i will smell its neck
before i leave for work
***
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