Dog Moon

Moonlight floods the room:

The scent of all outdoors drifts in.

 Old Maggie rouses, stiffly paces, 

Stands beside our bed again.

The full moon calls . She knows that

Somewhere beyond the edge of sight,
Bear and Jack, dead these two years,

Course the forever fields of night.

 Outside at last, she pauses on the porch,

Black nose tasting the moonlight,

Then sets off, hind legs stiff,

 A slow determined trot into the night.

 

Two hours later, she returns,

Panting with excitement keen,
Dancing with lunatic joy.

 Maggie, where have you been and what have you seen ?

 She keeps her counsel

but her eyes are full of moon beams

And, replete with full moon madness,

The old dog lies down to pleasant dreams.