Stand slowly ...

I waved goodbye – that was the arm she bit.

But the surface was only the glance of it

(two holes bleeding & a dog sitting, calm –

I knew she wasn't, well before I stood):

“She must sense something about you –

She would normally be barking, snapping.

I mean, she's never bitten, but – you know –

She tries to keep unfamiliar things at a distance.

Found her wandering in the desert when she

Was 10 months old – nobody knows for how long

Or what happened. But she's very withdrawn.

We've been doing acupuncture, jasmine,

many things. This is impressive.”

“Yes – she's very tense. I can feel it.”

Still, I stood to leave like she was a calm dog –

And on the surface, to anyone far away,

She was. And faster firm than my arm was soft,

She touched me with her eye-tooth hooks.

The top-side is fine, but the hole

By the flexor tendons aches.

Perhaps she just wanted

to pass along the feeling –

We connected, and I think

I catch her meaning:

“It's deeper

than it looks.”