Photo: Creative Commons
Jens, the solitary man next door
Spot, his spotted Chihuahua
they kept each other alive
into old age
every morning they took their walk
Spot leading ahead slightly on a leash as thin as thread
Jens shuffling in his boots
Spot waddling in cadence
every time they passed me, Jens would nod expressionlessly and Spot would growl
two angry souls made for each other
they were happy with each other and no one else
Spot was a cocky bastard around his master
one day I was in my driveway after my mother grounded me
next door Spot was watching me from the bottom of the porch stairs
I looked him in the eye, hopeful that he would throw me a little sympathy
but all he did was yap constantly
Spot’s barking angered me
as if reinforcing my mother’s scolding
I yelled back
he moved toward me, his bark now raspy
I grabbed a nearby twig and ran at him
I was going to call this little bastard’s bluff
he barked louder running to the sidewalk
in my fury I didn’t realize he was without leash
I ran after him; he kept running
in the confusion so did I
he ran faster to stay ahead of the monster that was chasing him
at the end of the street his bark faded as quickly as he
I ran back into my house before Jens could see me
I checked the window all afternoon expecting to see Jens and Spot on their walk
I only saw Jens; he was Spot-less
I remembered Spot’s terrified, bulging eyes glancing back at me as he reached the end of the street
the next morning I saw Jens walking
he was alone
I tipped back behind the shrub along my driveway before he could see me
he reached his porch and sat on the stairs
he had the same stern face as always
but his eyes were different
needed
was this how mortality might feel
I wanted to run to him to explain
but I was scared
what if Spot never came back
and Jens died
Jens sat on the stairs for hours
anxiety rode me all day
until I had to go in for dinner
I was still grounded
I ate little thinking about Jens’ eyes and Spot’s eyes
I expected the police to knock on our door at any minute
learning that my snoopy neighbor Miss Jones ratted me out
I couldn’t spend the rest of my life in jail
after dinner I sat on my porch
staring at the vacant stairs next door
from a distance I heard the familiar shuffling boots
I turned to see Jens – Spot was waddling beside him
life was good
Spot was alive
Jens wasn’t going to die
I wasn’t going to jail
as they passed I waived
Jens nodded back
Spot the bastard barked at me
we were all alive again
literophanes.com 
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