Puppies and Bones

You dominate me
and I trust you
You tell me what to do
You choose my mate
I give you complete control
I follow your word
to lay me down
at your feet
by the fire


I go with you on the hunt
Suddenly
I sense prey
My instincts take
I go rigid
and point the way
Blow it to hell and gone
and then after, retrieve the body
gently minding not to eat it
what smells and tastes better than anything
to lay down at your feet
without mark from teeth

You hold my puppies in your hand
I watch your face
Your smile is unmistakeable
It is a smile of love
I lick your face

I am old
My face turns grey
You pet my head
You have not aged
I do not understand why
but soon I will die

When I am gone
you remember me
even as I remember fireplaces and bones
My pups willlive on
Have you kept one?
In the wild
They are small
but please remember

it's not the size of the dog in the fight
it's the size of the fight in the dog