the dog park

have you ever eaten a pine tree?
actually stuck your mouth around a pine
needle, covered with snow?
if you haven't, you might need to reconsider

lately, have you walked through a drift of snow
and had a siberian husky tunnel in front of you with her nose?

i've been reading essays about how words can fail
to convey experience
and realize maybe we've just got to live our own

but have you seen two saint bernards
in their russet, thick fur
come up to a husky
and seem to say, you may be the more direct descendant
of the wolf
but the humans had a better idea with us

the husky runs away
bearing her teeth
saying i got these from the wolf
and now i'm on my way

when's the last time
you've eaten snow?

if there's snow outside
and you haven't had a bite today
you might
be making a mistake.

i crossed paths a couple times
with a woman with three dogs
one was a tan beagle
with a bark bigger than his bite
and i wondered why she didn't try to
calm my environment and shut him up
she had accepted her circumstances
gabbing away on the phone
telling someone she thought that
was the best thing they should do

but i'm wondering:
really, have you eaten snow?
there's something healing,
deeper than water
or ice

a man just walked by with a cowboy hat
carrying a round case saying something
about a cowboy

and i want to tell you
it's all spiritual

so was the man with the beard
who could be a santa claus
but looked like he spent more time
on a motorcyle
and today he had a german shepherd pup
who he can count on spending at least
12 years with

what a policy
a dog represents
and that pine needle
with its snow for today

and those drops of honey
you put in your tea
and the cheese-flavored chex-mix

and the papers you need to grade

and those lips you dreamed of kissing today
especially after you ate the snow.