Poet's Best Friend

Every weekday after I drop my daughter at school, I take my dog Hershey to the park. Rain or sun, happy or bleak, I go. There is a creek that runs through the park and I love to watch it every day, as it flows slowly or roars muddily through its curved path. Hershey is more interested in the squirrels and birds than anything else and she usually finds some animal to chase though she never catches it. Here's a poem about these doggy times.


Lattés in the Park with Dog

Mochaccino eyes,
sleek espresso body,

double shot, finest French Roast,
she stiffens, points, streaks after prey.

Or prowls, supremo, or on hind legs
stands, demitasse

of café con leche, front paws
up a tree. From above,

squirrels and crows torment,
buttery Kona machiato, show off

spirals and jeers for our canine
jitter girl. There’s always next time!

Black nostrils sniff
thousands of fragrances

on the morning breeze—
café amaretto, cocoa, hazelnut.

Sit, lie down, shake, stay close.
Pink tongue tastes bon bons alfresco,

briny bouquets. Legs and paws
dipped in crema, black velvety ears

cocked, Turkish, espresso con panna,
my Black Lab/Rottweiler blend

rolls over, wins cinnamon belly rubs.
My Vienna, my dark roast, my caffeine!


--Karen Braucher

Good walks and coffee to you, Karen