It wasn't that my owner
didn't love and care for me,
but when the leash snapped–
oh, I was free…

Joy:
tracing scents through woodland leaves,
yapping unrestricted after taunting squirrels,
pooping and peeing
    whenever and wherever the urge struck–

Canine nirvana!

Then I crossed the boundary
    between holiday and hunger.
I found no food dish
    among the endless grasses and hillsides,
nor, when the rain began,
    a sheltering crate to crawl within,
nor, when darkness fell,
    an open doorway,
    a warm and welcoming rug
    beside my owner's chair,
nor, when an unfamiliar ache rose within,
    a hand to smooth my coat,
    to cradle my muzzle.

This is the freedom,
for which I yearned?

How to find my way back…

Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.