Somebody turn on the sun... & Thank God

Seattle US-164531
Originally uploaded by zimtschnecke28

I'm just back from a wet walk with another poet. We both were in rubber boots, what does that tell you? Who flipped the calendar to November?

Thankfully, I don't rust.

*
Hand of God


On our walk, a big black dog ran after my golden retriever. Most golden retrievers are good sports about such things except my dog was kept in solitary confinement the first year of life (his first owners never had him interact with other dogs), so he's completely clueless to the social behavior of other dogs. When he's on his leash, he has no idea what the other dog's signals are, what he thinks is, "I must protect." And that's what he did; he bolted after the other dog who he thought was coming after us.

Because of the rain, my hand slipped and the retractable leash was gone. There was my dog chasing another dog down the street and there was no way I was catching up to him. I yelled his name, but he didn't listen--he was off.

But what happened? How did I get my dog back and how did this dog fight avoid happening? The leash magically bounced from the ground and landed perfectly on the post of the farm's barbed wire fence stopping my dog mid-attack.

Seriously, it was as if someone lifted my dog's leash and placed it on the fence post to stop him.

Poet friend and I stood with our mouths open. Amazing. I went to talk with the owners of the dog and she took the leash off the fence and waited with my dog now completely under control. Drama over. No terrible outcome. Perfect cosmic intervention.

I wish everyone could have seen it. It was one of the oddest things I've ever seen in my life.

And so we continued our walk in the rain talking about poetry as if magic was just part of the plan.