Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                                               Sunshine is Dogshine

                    Be prepared. A dog is adorable and noble.
                    A dog is a true and loving friend. A dog
                    Is also a hedonist.

                          -Mary Oliver, “The Wicked Smile”

My little dogs pause at the kitchen door
But after tentatively testing the air
Run wild into the sunlit of a rare warm day
Leaping across the long-dead summer grass

They tumble and roll, and loll with their tummies up
For each little sunbeam is a doggie-kiss
To be cherished against the next arctic front
When the sleeting wind rattles the window panes

My little dogs scratch at the kitchen door
Sunshine is dogshine
But now they want a doggie-nosh and a nap