my dog tramped all 11 pounds
of his hairy yapping on top
of my leading shadow.

jumped ahead blaming the bird
for scaring the sun into hiding;
his neck twisting for other suns.

as the fingernails of corpses
stayed the same, skin retired
at some coroner's cold table.

we, the living all surmised.
don't know them, maybe did;
today, signatured ink dried.

my thoughts borrowed: no return
like shattered coke bottles
are shunned by cracked lips.

i go back; my dog's shadow
a hairy leap ahead, smiles
in wait for all tomorrows.

03/26/2007