Last of the Season

A Poem for January 6th, 2009

The Dog In The Yard

He is barking in the backyard again,
he is tied to a 10 foot tether
but that is not long enough,
he wants to be free to run where he wants
but there is a hole in the fence
and if he gets out,
will he come back?
Would I want him to come back?
Would I cry if he didn't?
I have my nightgown on,
and he is still barking,
I try to ignore it,
I worry about the neighbors,
coming,
beating their fists on
the front door.
"Can't you keep that animal quiet?"
They scream, standing there in
their night gowns.
I put a mattress over the front door.
They can beat their fists all they want,
but I won't hear them.

He is still barking in the back yard.
I've turned the TV up very loud.
I settle on the couch,
and turn on an old movie,
it is black and white,
it's about a woman,
and a man,
and he wants more space,
and she wants a home,
and a white picket fence.
I think she wants one
without a hole in it.
He works late at the office,
she keeps his dinner warm,
she is wearing her nightgown.
He is wearing nothing,
he is not hungry.

I turn the TV off,
it is quiet.
I walk to the backyard,
I am wearing nothing.
He is not there,
I don't cry.

My New Year's Resolutions

Ok, my resolutions are to take more photos, see more art, find my creativity again. That's it. Not to earth shaking. I just want to have more beauty in my life. So I will watch more good movies, read more books, write more poetry etc. There I better get started.