The Labrador

Crossing a fenced-off railroad track
holes in the fence
carrying a dog
my journey
I drop him
he’s heavy      I can’t pick him up

he puts his foot in a trap
chained to the track      a trap
yes      but that dog
won’t chew his foot off
he’s barking at himself      he won’t let
me near.
                             I left him.

Door in the Mountain: New & Collected Poems