dog world

you wake up from
your nap
and think it's the next
day. but it's not
it's five o'clock
in the afternoon.
your dog jumps
onto your chest
and licks your face.
stares deeply into
your eyes, trying
to hold you down
and tell you not
to leave. you say
the word walk,
which makes him
wiggle and snap
his tail quickly
in the air, lifting
his bottom half
off the ground a
little. life is better
somehow with
a dog. it might
be time to ponder
once again,
the barking beast.
but no.