Dog Mind

A kilo of cloudy fur.
Soft inside and out, swaddled in my sweater.

On your first car journey home,
Sunk into my lap,
Your hand in my palm,
You struggle to balance your head.
Hypnotized by the motorway’s hum,
Your eyes droop and your toes twitch,
In your faraway forest wonderland.

Your feet meet our wooden ice-rink,
And you slip’n’slide with your new plushies
And tug-o-war toys,
Until you dream in an afternoon sunbeam,
Only rising as I get ready for bed.
Your eyes glint with a playful gleam
As you spring from floor to bed and back again.
Toothlessly nibbling and nudging,
Rolling over, arms tucked in,
Anticipating the nightly belly rub.

Now, five kilos of fuzzy snow.
Gently affectionate, a brutal predator.

Bounding through grasses twice your height,
You leave the squirrels quivering,
Pigeons scattering, puddles splattering.
You hide your pocket-size; I’ve seen you threaten a grizzly
And strut away – chest out. Perhaps silently thanking your leash…

You laze like a little lion,
The prince in his bed, a daily dental chew is served
By those who dote upon you.
Your hand presses it down as you aggressively gnaw
The victim of your hunt.
You smugly lick your lips and stretch out in your domain.
For another day as an adorable emperor,
Ruling everything (under the kitchen counter).