Archie Meades
Meg ran away often.
As a collie, she was expected to herd
As a collie, she was expected to herd
but the only
gathering she did was
when her vanishing acts
led me to the water's edge
to see her splash and strut
in the shallow parts of the bay.
gathering she did was
when her vanishing acts
led me to the water's edge
to see her splash and strut
in the shallow parts of the bay.
She sensed my limits:
my school shoes
and the evening schedule.
And I knew two things: Meg hated
the feel of water on her head, and the ferry
my school shoes
and the evening schedule.
And I knew two things: Meg hated
the feel of water on her head, and the ferry
and its wake would come every two hours.
I waited hours in the hope
she would yield to my murmured, merman pleas.
she would yield to my murmured, merman pleas.
Balls and replacement stones went fetched,
unreturned and forgotten.
Calls to heel were screened.
Would she have done the same
with sheep? She loved this
immersive theatre.
It always ended with one of us
wetter than we wanted,
a frequently repeated washing cycle.
We never had a chance
a frequently repeated washing cycle.
We never had a chance
to speak about it
on account of her being a dog.
