Black Dog – Guardian, Prophet, or a Figment of the Imagination
Black Dog hiding
Close to the ground
Eyes scanning the searing hot desert
Searching perhaps
For what or whom, no one is certain
Distant objects
Occasionally emerging from the wasteland
At first nothing more than color
Shapes blurred
Obscured by the rising waves of heat haze
Black Dog burrowed
Under a rickety pile of wooden boxes
Not stacked
But somehow holding a shape
And some shade
Tumbleweeds bouncing
Chased by tiny grains of sand
An earthbound comet of sorts
Passing by in silence
The miles of empty spaces
Offering nothing but misery and loneliness
To those who perchance pass by
Considering how to calculate
Black Dog significance
Possibly a sign
Harbinger of things yet to pass
Or a message in need of interpretation
Man’s best friend
Light or dark,
Real or imagined,
Shadows unconvincing of the truth
Black Dog waiting
Eyes that never blink
Returning to the footprints
Wagon wheel ruts and other signs of life
Marking them for another time
Reasons unknown
Travelers drift past
Less often than the tumble weeds
One eye on the trail
The other keeping pace with the watcher
Sharing space
Uncomfortably
Without fully understanding
Their quickened pace noticeable
Berth widened
Heads slightly bowed
Black Dog respected
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A lot of thoughts to ponder here, Ralph. Seems like Black Dog, man’s best friend in light or dark times, is a prophet or guardian watching times of past and future. Marvelous phrasing that makes me think deeply. Well done.
Such a nice snippet of life and the questions we have concerning our furry friends. They have such keen senses and we wonder what they are thinking as they scour their domain, Some wonderful imagery Ralph, and so well constructed and penned. A joy to read. Cheers!
The “black dog” is a euphemism for “depression” here, Ralph. This is a wonderful poem. Great job.