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Gone All Wrong

He ain't no Bald Eagle,
but he does have a wingspan
of 3.5 to 4+ feet,

and sometimes he (or she)
settles down on the chimney
of the house next door

because over at our door
our dog Cooper
ducks out through
the dog flap
in order to flop
on the small bridge
over the rock creek
crossing our yard.

This particular rock creek
has never seen running water,
although its predecessor did
once in our tenure here.

Today there are two such hawks
lazing about in the winter sun--
I say it is winter because it is January:
there is no other reason to say so--
just as I say Cooper is a dog
because he says he is,
at fifteen pounds and a collar.

The two red-tailed hawks
are uncommonly interested
in our red-tailed dog,
while he--our dog-claimant--
pretends to be on the watch for coyotes.
They came by, a couple of days ago,
causing Cooper to strut to attention
and, like a presidential candidate,
yip childish insults at them.
The five coyotes circled the back fence,
around to the downhill side,
pretending not to care that
a rabbit-sized dog-pretender
was insulting them.

And that is how
we have become watch dogs,
keeping Cooper safe
from what he does not know.

Something has gone
all wrong.





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