At Twilight I Become a Dog

author’s note:

To all the twilight lovers out there.


AT TWILIGHT I BECOME A DOG

This evening walking home from the woods
a wandering dog spoke me with its eyes
saying:
Like so many humans, you seem to love twilight.
Why?

After a moment of reflection
I arrived at this explanation:

“As the sunlight evaporates
 and darkness filters in

“as trees shade into silhouettes
 and the distance grows obscure

“the familiar becomes unfamiliar
 and suddenly
 I’m not so sure of my steps.

“So to compensate
 I open my eyes and ears
 and in that state
 of heightened sensitivity
 I again sense
 the strangeness of this place I inhabit

“and again realize
 our mundane world
 is always infused
 with a world unseen.
 Or rather:
 the two are always one.

“Ironic, yes—
 in my unease
 I experience wonder again.”

At the end of this spiel
the dog wagged its tail
and said with a grin:

You have good instincts, my friend.
Maybe someday
you’ll be brave enough
to hear and see and feel
as dogs do all day long.

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