Poem: The Dog on the Rock

Conflicted by the shivering

and the purity of swimming

the black and white dog

shakes

like a crisscrossed lover

the water washes

over speckled paws

he’s safe on the sturdy rock

but comfort has cost him

sisters and brothers

valleys roamed and rabbits chased

traded

for a leash

suburban nights

spent on the bed

owner’s emotions creeping

through the space between dreams

he latches onto worry

like an anxiety leach

but when his eyes watch the water

emotions overflow

so he leaps

but he’s quick to hit the surface

buoyed by his bright life jacket

even though he swims

just fine.

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