A stray follows the man who picks plastic from the beach every morning.
All tagged dog
A stray follows the man who picks plastic from the beach every morning.
“Alexa,” I call out. “Set the timer for five minutes!”
The leash suddenly went taut as Louis spotted the dead squirrel and took it in his mouth.
“It’s important to be calm and quiet because we don’t know how these dogs will react to children,” I remind my six-year-old in the parking lot of the animal shelter.
I want to age like this river. Let the clay that surrounds me erode without judgement. Become so beautiful that no one will feel a need to ask about my origins.
I have been watching them for years. They are so familiar to me, yet I know nothing about them. Not where they live, not even their names. Today I see them and I wonder what brought them to this point in their lives together.
My daughter’s visit softened sterile surfaces of my home with a trail of mugs, plates, and debris, comforting signs of her presence. Our sympathetic bond assuaged my longing for connection, accumulated over months of pandemic isolation.
At five to four, Husband says, “Come outside. I fixed your snowshoes. I want you to try them.” I reply, “But I can’t, you know I have this other commitment.”
The boys bound ahead down the steep path, and the dog pulls at her leash. My footing, accustomed to sidewalks, remains unsure.