Sonatina in Praise of My Two Bulldogs

today in Amsterdam
I see dogs in lawns and parks
dogs on leashes
others so well trained
they follow their masters
through the busy streets

at each encounter I recall
the pools of silence in your eyes
that equity beyond the law
heads cocked at attention
or buried in your mistress’ lap
expecting that we can stay the planet
when you wake at night
unhappy with the howling
of coyotes

in my grandmother’s patio
you could have sniffed the turtle
that crawled backwards
into the human shout

the wind blows foreign dust into your eyes
but I’ll be back
nobody has gone beyond
the fringes of existence yet

you are my household gods
boiling at my feet
even now
even half a world away
I am collecting odors
your snouts pressed hard
against the gift of smell