The Weight of the World - May 29 2023

 

The Weight of the World

May 29 2023

The old dog

is soaking up the sun,

lying on the lawn

sprawled on her side

eyes shut.

Her chest rises and falls,

a wet pink tongue

lolls loosely

out the side of her mouth.

At heart, a wild animal, she is saving herself;

an apex predator

conserving energy

for the next hunt.

Yet this is a dog

who has never missed a meal

and never known hunger.

Who chases squirrels just for fun,

and wisely

totally given-up

on hair-trigger rabbits

the neighbour's cat;

I can't imagine what she'd do

if she ever actually caught one.

Or is this a window

into the secret life of dogs?

Our inscrutable companions

we only think we know,

but who are really theologians

and practical philosophers;

metaphysicians

of the arcane arts

contemplating posterity

and worshipping the sun?

My old dog,

who, after all

is not a lazy aimless hedonist

focussed on her next meal,

but is thinking deep thoughts

in her lush green sanctuary

under a numinous sun;

her daily meditation

on life.

While I watch,

wondering at the marvellous goings on

inside that noble head.

Which I’m sure

does not rest lightly,

heavy

with the weight of the world.