First Chore: Take Dog to Park
Same time of morning, same front door,
same leash on same dog. Choice:
turn left or right, so long as we reach
the same old park. Same old routine:
throw tennis ball, run, fetch,
wag, bark. Keep a watch out:
other dogs - other humans -
just may break the routine.
Like the day two German shepherds
panicked her - she vanished.
I found her later waiting
for me on the front porch at home.
Thatšs them again now,
no wonder shešs skulking low.
Mostly though, itšs OK,
go say helloš, and shešs away
skirting the dogs
(they get short shrift)
to greet their humans,
whošre easily charmable,
chat her up brightly,
extend a hand to frisk
her soft blond spine and even,
as she rolls against them,
rub her blonder tum;
or throw her ball, eliciting
more animation from her
than ever does her master.
The sky, however,
knows several routines,
some including wetness,
windy unfriendliness,
hostile coldness.
Rain soon passes, at best,
and we watch from the sports-
pavilion veranda the usual
birds pursue invisible insects
on the wing or worms in the grass.
At the other extreme, the sky
can be punitive, a killing blue,
a dizzy-spell-inducing sun;
the turf wilts as we watch;
home seems beyond reach.
Therešs dried mud under
the hot drinking fountain,
the metal on her leash
scorches the touch.
- All in the park outing,
over in minutes, lived and lost,
exercised, exhausted.
This morningšs sky
was a fresh display
of insouciance, teasing
with droplets we watched
bounce in puddles improper
for late summer
(where a non-swimmer
dog can wade drinking
exposing gap-toothed gums).
The sky momentarily
bared gaps of blue brilliance
through which the sun warned:
get home while you have a chance.
Routine? I should be glad
of such continuity.
Old man, old dog. Wešre home;
up on the mattress
I left at six, shešs snoring,
crowding her mistress.
In the kitchen or wherever,
when her two humans reach
towards each other to embrace,
she whimpers, yelps, gets between us.
The sleeve of this shirt Išm wearing
she ripped, an untrained puppy;
mouth full of new teeth.
Labradoodleš - half poodle,
half labrador, half human,
her days had just begun to flow,
over a decade of such days ago.
11am, Wednesday 16 February 2005
Max Richards, North Balwyn, Melbourne
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