Portrait of a Dog
Scotty’s a suburban dog.
He has it all, you’d say:
A comfy house, a great big yard,
two kids who love to play.
He goes out riding in the car,
takes long walks in the park.
He knows he is one lucky dog.
But sometimes when it’s dark
he hears a wild and haunting cry,
some old, forgotten tune,
and goes out on the perfect lawn
and howls up at the moon.
Marion Shore has published poetry, translations and fiction in numerous journals and anthologies. She is a two-time winner of the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award and a winner of the Richard Wilbur Award. She lives in Springfield, Massachusetts.