Jack and Jill

Sibling rivalry is a force of conceit
to be reckoned with, irregardless of
the species, and those twin black poodles
exemplify throughout the course of each
day the canine fundamentals of 
the competitive spirit, each contesting
the other in a myriad of ways to prove
their incontestable superiority. They
may be linked by birth and companionship
but motivated by an independent spirit
compelling them to counter any
privilege viewed by the other as theirs
alone. He has mastered the acrobatic 
artistry of buoyant leaps easily placing
himself out of her reach yet taunting her
from those heights, ears hanging low enough
for her jaw to close and teeth to tug him
irresistibly to her floor-height for a tussle.
With her superior weight balanced against
his taller frame, they reach a stalemate.
When she takes possession of a treat he
spurns his own, vying for hers without 
success while she has no trouble achieving
ownership of anything he has possession
of in masterful strokes of feint-and-grab. 
It's a race to the finish when on snowbound
forest trails we pause to rest and they gambol
on, one in the lead the other hot in pursuit
black streaks-of-motion on icy trails.