He Saved My Life

He saved my life
on those walks, chasing
rabbits, dancing around snakes,
unaware of their presence,
leaving me for stretches
but always returning,
as my mind was soothed
by the water trickling
through the bayous
and the cold chill
on skin as moon emerged
through linen doily
clouds and the color
of the sky changed
from polluted to ocean,
and I’d dive in
and swim a few laps
and be cleansed each night
before we returned home.


Bradley’s dog Pooh-Yie