to sit out in the rain

a walk during Summer's hottest hour
is to endure the suffocating heat
of the sun, as her light
holds the weight of the world
sinking in
through
my skin

but - i watch
these two dogs
sit in the shade
with deep breaths and a grin
for being able to play
hide and seek
in the trees

happiness
is simple there
and you can see it
in their hazel eyes
even as a strong breeze
finds its way
around the trees
bringing in a storm
and disturbing the grass

the patter of rain
on their noses and tongues
is exciting
and promises adventure -
even as the glow
of the falling sun
extinguishes beyond sight

inside
they are deafened
to the hushed secrets
whispered
in the thunder.

in their sleep,
there are no images -
just feelings
of fear and joy
and eventually, the moon,
satiated and sleepy, dims
falling into the shadow
of a new born heavy sun,
to become a dream with no face,
a sense of something we can't touch
while naked and bathed in light

there is no time
for waking pups
to hold on to slipping dreams,
for the spirit rises with the sun
crawling up the body,
opening the eyes to a new day
ripened with familiar colors,
and finding a home at the temple
where it weighs its roots
down upon the shoulders of the living
as a nurtured burden

their souls
are vast and open,
allowing for the spirit
to dig and cultivate
so that the roots
can reach to the furthest corners
of their deepest chasms
forever giving them a reason
to sit out in the rain