Give these bacon rinds
to the dog
Auntie said

so I took the bacon rinds
from her hand
and took them out

on the black iron balcony
and holding one
of the bacon rinds up

over the reclining dog
I said
sit Dancer

and he sat up
eyeing the bacon rind
with his head tilted

to a degree
gently now
he took the bacon rind

gently between his teeth
and I let go my end
and he tossed it up

and caught it
in his mouth
and before he'd

swallowed it
he was sitting there again
with head tilted

looking at me
as I raised
another bacon rind up

and said
gentler Dancer
and he gently took

the bacon rind
between his teeth
and removed it

with the grace of a butterfly
then tossed it again
and swallowed it  

then sat again
and I held up
another bacon rind

and then put it
between my own
four year old teeth

and said
out of the corner
of my mouth

gently Gancer
and Dancer looked at me
and at the task ahead

and taking the bacon rind
between his teeth
he ever so gently

tugged at it
but I held onto my end
and there we were

each holding
the bacon rind
like two opposing dogs

he eyed me
and I eyed him
then I let go

and he tossed it up
and swallowed it
eyeing me

for the last piece of rind
I held it between
my small fingers

then tossed it
over the two storey balcony
to the ground beneath us

go get it Dancer
I said
and he raced off

down the black metal stairs
to fetch the last rind
did you give the dog

the bacon rind Benedict?
Auntie asked from inside
the apartment

yes Auntie I did
I said
in the gentlest voice

I could employ
good Benedict
good boy.