997

I spent most of Thursday
shepherding some dogs
a spaniel
and a corgi mix
in and out of the house
sometimes with a coffee
sometimes with a beer

I dumped the ashes
into a bin

I saw my neighbor
step out of her dress
all the windows were open
the newscaster said rain
would hit the Texan plains
but it hadn’t come yet
this woman with black hair
let it down after
hanging the dress
on a hanger by the window
I couldn’t tell if she smiled
when she saw me stretched
on the hammock with a dog
and a cigarette in my mouth

I later saw her get into
her truck
it had a large soccer decal
something I couldn’t help
but to sneer then smile at

later on
I decided to either embrace
being a juvenile
or find a way to begin
a new line without
using a preposition