Old Dog

You rest next to me,

and dream of squirrels and cats,

of fields full of rabbits.

I take you there sometimes,

to the fields nearby--

to experience your boundless joy.

Your unmasked exuberance

might rub off on me you know—

I hope that in your dreams

you catch that rabbit

and that the field billows before you,

full of promise and possibility

and that you never tire--

But go on running

through the thick scrub,

bounding over it

like you were two again.

And just when you start

to think of me,

I will be there with you,

alongside you,

panting and grinning from the exertion.

copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2012