sudden breeze –
the dog sniffs the hisses
of a rattle snake
Calvin says, “Hey, that’s me in the poem. I remember that day well. We stood overlooking the creek, in tall grasses, poppies blooming, puffy white clouds in a periwinkle sky, but I wax poetic. It was more rustic than that. All of a sudden I hear a rattle. I freeze. Every nerve in my body is on alert, ready to respond, to sniff the intruder, and then bay my guts out. I have the victim in my sight. Who cares that he’s slithering straight at me, flicking his tongue, and rattling furiously. This is drama. This is adventure. This is what I was made for. You spoiled it by screaming and yanking me away.” 
“I saved your life,” I said.
“You killed the joy.”
“You’d be a dead dog,” I said.
“I’d have gone down smiling.”
“I’d have gone home crying,” I said.
“Aw. You do love me.”
Calvin & Bloggie 