Several years ago
Trudging through the snow
We spied each other
We instantly labeled one another
Oh yeah, here is one of those dog people like us, we said
Paying vigil to the privilege of living with another species
At Wilber Park
Out in inclement weather, feet soaked with slush
Or on a glorious day in sandalled feet getting pebbles and sticks caught between our toes
It was just you then, Peter
And your dog Hudson
Whom we kept calling Cooper
And other historic names, like Lincoln and Hoover
But you remembered Buzzy every time
And our conversation never drifted off the gentleness of our pets
We proceeded
To engage in a conversation with far more meaning than discussing the troubles of the world
And that’s how we got to know the gentleness of your spirit
We often changed our walking schedule
But it never seemed to matter
We still ran into you
Often engrossed in our own conversation
We’d greet each other, dogs sniffing
To engage in a conversation with far more meaning than discussing the troubles of the world
Knowing your name was irrelevant
We knew you
Because it seems like we “dog friends” never need formal introductions
Our pets help us circumvent that convention
When Judy came and Daisy came along
It just seemed they were always there, and we proceeded through the park
Much in the same manner as before
A few more “dog friends” now
To engage in a conversation with far more meaning than discussing the troubles of the world
Judy was always kind enough to keep track of the days in the school year
Adding some bounce to our step
Perhaps to keep us up with Daisy’s boundless energy
A vain attempt
Then the floods wiped out the bridge
Forced to change routes
Later, when the creek ran lower, we and other “dog people” built a rock path
We said hello to them, we knew some of their names
Even got their dogs’ names correct on occasion
They were “dog people"
But Peter, you and Judy were only ones whom we referred to as our “dog friends”
Then Mario arrived on the scene (A nice Italian name by the way)
Kind of like one of those toys you buy in a little plastic wrapper
That you add water to and it grows to 300 times its size in two days
The lighting changed, the seasons changed, our schedules changed
But we always managed to run into one another
Serendipity
To engage in a conversation with far more meaning than discussing the troubles of the world
This season past, we were coming to know you in another capacity too Peter
And that changed
Without meter, like what is written here
Without rhyme, like what is written here
Without the dot at the end of the sentence
Because there really was no end to you Peter
But this remains the same
You will always be with us on our walks our “dog friend”
And in the spirit of these creatures of another species that share their lives with us
To think of your presence, and how much it really meant
Has even a greater meaning in retrospect
We are changed too
By having engaged with you, Peter, our “dog friend”
In conversations with far more meaning than discussing the troubles of the world
Your dog friends, JoAnn and Joe Chmielowski
6.8.10
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment