This poem was published in The Avenue Journal, Issue X: Dogs
The Dog Thinks About Percy And EO Wilson And Refrigerator Magnets
by Brooke Herter James
A rainy start to the day.
I at my desk, the pile of crumpled poems
growing on the floor beside me.
The dog on his bed,
smelling damp. He opens one eye
as another paper ball drops.
Did you know, he says to me,
that Mary Oliver wrote a whole book
of poetry about dogs?
Yes, I say. And since she did, I can’t.
He looks at me sideways.
More than one book has been written on the subject of love.
Yes, I say. But those books are different.
Agreed, he says. And goes back to sleep.
By noon, the world is sparkling.
We walk to the pond for our daily swim.
Did you know, he says to me,
that E.O. Wilson wrote a whole book
about sharing the earth 50-50?
Humans get half and we get the rest.
Yes, I say. I like that idea.
Which half would you want? I ask him.
The half with the pond and my dog house
and the hole I dug this morning
while you were brushing your teeth.
How about you? he asks as we wade
into the cool water, side by side.
Me? I say. I would like the half with you in it.
This evening is lit with fireflies.
We sit on the grass, looking over the pond
to the mountain beyond.
Did you know, he says to me,
that a dog is man’s best friend?
Did you read that in a book somewhere? I ask.
Like maybe Mary Oliver wrote that about Percy?
No, he says. I think I saw it on a bumper sticker
or maybe a refrigerator magnet.
Do you think it’s true? I ask.
I do, he says as he rolls onto his side,
his warm back pressed against my leg. And you?
What a silly question, I say,
for such a smart dog.
Brooke Herter James’s poetry has appeared in online and printed journals, including ONE ART, Rattle, Bloodroot Literary, and Orbis. She is the author of several poetry chapbooks and one children’s picture book. She lives in Vermont.
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