Him and the Dog
She stands birching
Towards river
Black metal liquid
Sweating paper Southeast
Her pepper white skin flapping
Cinnamon into the wind
The insects detour the trail of deterrent
Caught on a different path
Antennae tangle with confusion
Their multiple facet eyes
Cast diamond suns, garnet imaginings
To the dog panting on the porch
Its lapping lazy tongue sinks cool
Into slobber water
Splashes the bare soles of the gray beard
Rusted owner
Tin stone he sits heavy
A monument, a broomstick used well
He is dreaming of the river
The current of summer sound
Rising like a swelling orchestra
Finding the peak of music
They strum, working in the pit
Knee high straw itching sideways
Serrated rubbing
The cricket echoes
This is his enclosure
Their enclosure
Him and the dog
Shannon Castor reads “Him and the Dog”
Learn more about Shannon on our Contributors’ Page.
The photo is an original painting by the author. More of her work can be found here.
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- Him and the Dog (poem and artwork) by Shannon Castor - April 15, 2024
- Him and the Dog by Shannon Castor - March 21, 2024
- Staying Warm by Shannon Castor - August 31, 2023