Farewell, Miles & Rufus

Poems and photos of two beautiful souls

Do You?

When I am away do you pine?

As I do?

Do you see another--about my size and shape

whose coloring resembles mine--and sigh?

As I do?

Do you catch a familiar scent on a puff

of air and find me in your brain?

As I do you?

Do you search with your eye for some small

crumb of me in each who passes by?

As I do?

Do you, dog of mine?

As I do?

A-Scampering

And so we trip along the paths of wood and meadow

taking in everything, the call of the pileated woodpecker

sending a ruffle of ahhhhh! through my body

the light in the trees the cool touch of the morning air

the rasping of cicadas, the scampering of my two dogs

the wild devotion with which they apply themselves

to this quotidian place as if they have never ever ever been

here before, as if every leaf and stem is brand new

as if Life itself has just this moment burst open in them

and sent them rocketing down the path.

The Wisdom of Dogs

Breakfasting on wild blackberries plucked on the fly

as I follow the familiar path, my two reckless dogs

barreling ahead turning now and then to make sure

I am still coming along, their rows of teeth

making crazy grins. Come on! they seem to say

for they have no interest in blackberries or wildflowers.

They don't even know it'll be a short walk today,

things to do, places to go, people to see, but still

for them, every moment counts. Come on!

Something great might be around that bend!

Come on! And I do, I follow, knowing

full well that they are right.

Home Again

How simple a thing it is to be at home

again where one's heart is

to occupy one's own bed, the covers skimming

one's bones as they are known to do

the familiar clock and lamp at the elbow

the special mug for tea now full now empty

to see the neighbor's green house outside the window

to feel upon one's thigh the known weight of a beloved dog

whose two baby teeth lie downstairs in a small blue bowl

where they could be found, admired, touched

whenever one wanted.

How simple how simply grand.

***

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Thanks for listening,
Kay

P.S. MerryThoughts is the name of my first book, out of print at the moment. The word is a British one, referring both to a wishbone and to the ritual of breaking the wishbone with the intention of either having a wish granted or being the one who marries first, thus the "merry thoughts."