memories of a dog...

left class. determined to steal pups from the hedge of tree aloe. but there people stood in the ale-yellow glow. swerved. had a sip at the water fountain in the dark. patches of bird shit stark white on the hardware. and then back again. the coast was clear. the new red mary janes bright into the duff and st. johnswort. one hand rummages under the hedge for aerial root. the other tucked between my knees. i lean. reel in two pups. turn to see the boy staring at me-- dashes away. i pull keys from my coat pocket and head for the wheels. then hope there's enough gas to make it to the filler. the lights play tricks on me. are those cars head on? yes. head on! and then they align and i breath again.

donned the old lady sweater. giant pockets. changed shoes a la mr. rogers. opted for cons. thin soled. harnessed the hounds. on the other side of town, near the pear tree, i make the hand off. put the tethers in the sister's hand and she continues slowly away. i pad down the culvert and up into pear limbs. the amber streetlamp makes everything ripe. ripeness is all. so the hand goes to the knees and the other hand into the leaves. four pears: two grounded, two plucked. the granny pockets bulge. the shadow looks like a hoop skirt. or maybe that's just my ass. but i take the tethers hold again. redistribute the load. take this one...and that one, if you would. the sister bulges, too. talk of bulldozers and the waste associated. whole trees upended when they've served their purpose. clumps of banana and rangy gum trees. past their prime. and why? back at the house lo-dog gives me kisses. will-dog dances the apache. sister unburdened. i, unburdened.

read some and browsed some on daido moriyama. the fly in the photo, the raindrops, lovely. the fly in the room, the one butting heads with me, unlovely. why? why, the fly in that photo is lovely. why, the fly on my head is unlovely.

i go now.