Symbiosis

 

My symbiont — 

Presented to me in pixels,

Called to me from the ether,

Traveled to me

1,500 miles

To cement our bond.

With the body of a sausage,

Legs of a gopher,

And the jaws of a killer,

He is a ridiculous golden wolf

Engineered into 

Perfect permanent puppyhood.

Our symbiosis is primarily trot-based:

Front feet flicking joyfully,

Pissin’ n sniffin’

On every dam post.

The ludicrous length of his tail —

A stiff yellow rope 

Tracking high above him,

Tagging his location

Like a slightly stretched question mark

Marking his constant canine queries —

Odor-based inquiries,

Beyond my cerebral comprehensions.

The uneven flop of his radar ears —

One pointing sideways,

One straight up

Catching signals from all directions.

The beloved slack and curl

Of his black ripply lips

As

He snuffs and huffs

Invisible trails along the earth.

Delighted,

The tight coil in my chest

Releases,

Worrying ceases.

I see —

The many hues of leaves,

The singing shapes of the trees,

The smoky peach moon,

And,

The distant dusky stars.

He is unique.

But all dogs share a single heart

And I am in it.

My pleasing plumpness 

Plods behind him.

Onlookers marvel at him,

Which gives me hope.

Because,

If such a crazy quilt of a creature,

Is spontaneously declared beautiful

By Strangers,

Perhaps, 

Love and Wonder 

Live on

Somewhere 

In the human heart 

after all.