Life Lesson

The large black dog walking her master, 
joyously thrust her shaggy presence 
upon the wooded trails, snuffling everything
she encountered as though in a canine
candy shop, overwhelmed by the
sights, the sounds, the fragrance of
uninterrupted nature.  Eager to befriend
and embrace everything and everyone
and her companion felt graced in her
natural beatific persona, somehow
finding in her presence, imbibing her
frantic love of life his too had gained
inestimable value.  He witnessed her
approach toward a tiny terrier, heard it 
snarl in response to her buffoonish 
invitation to play together, admired her
resolve to rise above the cranky response
by proffering another antic offer, then
drew back as the terrier launched
itself affixing its teeth in her sloppy shank.
Breathing a sigh, the large dog turned
on its back in submission, a heartfelt
apology from the frenetic goodwill 
of an open soul to the sour belligerence
of one vastly preferring its isolation.