Dead Dog's Lie

The dog howled a slow, rising howl

Lonely and longing from inside the house

As you, at the edge of the distant field

Shoveled dirt - first out, then into

The grave for an unknown dog.   

Found past midnight on the dark road home

At the end of an endless day 

A day that drained your soul 

Finding a flicker of passion 

In the sorrow of a dog lost and killed

Remembering yourself, and your heart 

You carried the dead dog home.   

In cutting words I mocked you 

For what did you plan to do? 

With a dog, not sick, but dead 

And a stranger to us, besides. 

So bloody and cold the dog lay

In the barn beside our house 

For one day and one night...alone 

Save for the vultures flocking above

And I teased you again, in the morning 

Of the dead dogs, will there be more? 

We stayed there, each of us 

Lost in our non-understanding

Our friendship strained.

And now there is silence

As you have returned from your task 

Your own dog content and quiet

Happy that you are inside.

We will not speak 

As we have done before

And we will let this pass 

But it will not go away. 

They say “let dead dogs lie.” 

For what is done, is done 

But something of life remains here 

Something is keeping the pain here 

I can hear it howling in my heart.