The Duck

A woman and dog encounter winter wildlife

 

While I wrote this first person, the story was actually told me over the phone by a friend during the recent winter storm we experienced in western WA.  Reading my own work, I see I switched tenses halfway through.  Oh well, I wrote it just for fun for Diana and Pepper won’t care.  She enjoys bad poetry.  That is Pepper in the photo with her frequent look of puzzlement in trying to understand humans.  This website keeps erasing my photos; hope it stays up.

The Duck

Seven AM again already

time for Pepper’s walk and play

Yet again it snowed last night 

But dawned a sunny day

Looking out my bedroom window 

I view such a scene

The trail and trees dusted white

The lake ice lit a sunny sheen

We’ve only just begun the trail

A raccoon shoots across 

Lights her canine heart afire

Pepper no I stomp and holler

I grab her by her collar

She whips her tail in ire

Down below I see a duck

Just sitting on the ice

I anxiously wonder

Are its feet frozen in?

No, that sit did suffice

It stands with shake of wing

Walks to open water, jumps

Joins the quacking din 

Pepper is a Shetland Sheep Dog

Born and bred to herd

Never needing my command

Beware all walking bird

Ducks have been a favorite 

When we meet them on dry land

Today to my surprise 

It was the bevy in the lake

She ran straight into the water

I did a double take 

She was up to her neck

For heaven’s sake

She was going to swim

I shouted Get back here

She came back ashore 

I said I know you love ducks

But don’t do that anymore 

I cut our walk short

Feared her fur would freeze

She kept stopping to chew ice

Pepper let’s get going please

It felt so good to get warm

Back in our third floor lair

I toweled her fur top to paw

She didn’t seem to care

That’s my partner Pepper

Reviews

[Red Brick Keshner]

Feels like the advent of Spring, if that duck 🦆 was a migratory sort then even more so! 🙏🏻🕊quack!