Poem For Sam

My boy smiles
A rueful smile
At you, the dog he loves.
I recognize that smile
Which says
He knows all your faults
And quirks. The way
You are afraid of
Everything
Scared of other dogs
Ducks
Little kids
Men with facial hair
Water
Cats, of course
Bald men
Guitars
Teenage boys
Cars
Most women
And plastic bags.
Your ideal would not
Be this guitar-player
With a beard but
A twelve-year-old girl,
Who recycles, quiet
And not at all musical.
Instead, my boy.
So you nuzzle him,
The one you get,
With your furry face
And smile your own
Rueful smile.