My Face, Now

Me + Puppy
She covers my face with her exuberance, her energy.
Easy to forget I am there.
The distraction of puppy versus baby.
No eyes on my strained face.
Absence easily conversed, forgotten.
Thanksgiving morning with triggers abound
I took her for a languid walk.
Stark, crisp leaves, crunching, deadened.
Stillness in the morning
Neighbors have not yet started festivities.
Pond gently murmuring its last bubbles.
I am grateful for the gray sky, a moment’s silence.
We turn the corner and pass a small group of owners with dogs, also sneaking away for a walk.
I raise my hand and call out a hello.
And am ignored.
They don’t see me at all, keep walking.
The puppy…
We are tangled up in her energy.
It hid my sadness.