a poem

Away to Me
-by Jim Kling

“Away.”

The dog, hitherto poised at my side

Sprints away against the clock.

The tall grass confounds,

A low spot blocks his view,

But somewhere out there he knows

The sheep are waiting.

He spots them, lined up in a row,

Heads bowed forward,

Defiant.

Away, once more, he arcs out gracefully,

Head aligned with body in one seemless form,

Legs pumping, ears pricked, his eyes glued to the sheep.

They watch him, too, warily,

Until

He’s behind them

And grudgingly they turn towards me.

They trot.

He follows, head low, intent

Ready to push a straggler

Or turn a wandering ewe.

“Steady,” I call, as the sheep come near.

They settle at my feet, browsing,

Content as the dog who watches them now.

The dog who brought them here,

To me.