from---Ten Thousand Things

...on a canine point of view









The dog is a part of every human
experience. It is very happy on every one
of its limbs. It bites / does not bite
the hand that mocks it.
Besides which, leading a dog
to water means only one thing. River
’s a mouth, the dog is endless. She cannot
change what she does not
see. Only
  
  
The stick is a thing to beat the human
with. The dog deserves this. Trailing
its tail in the dirt. Meanwhile we miss
beauty in all its small places. Have not
the patience nor courage to please the dog.
To not lead the dog. Intentionally.
What is the body for
if not this thing to beat us
with. But what is it for
now? Where is
our knowing when
it becomes nothing but
blind dust leading
the dust.
  
  
We have this thing. Isn’t any
kind of complexity. Doesn’t howl
when it’s called. Human flowing
through dust. Basin of time.
Unsupportable howling. Man is
  
  
But what is woman therefore. In the scene
where he enters. And where,
the dog. Narration
that figures is closing. The net is it
tightening. When he will settle
/forget. Her into the discourse.
When he will cut a line
into it, like a poem.
  
  
We have this thing
is it intentional.
Some think it is stick leading
dog. But is it the will leading
the moments, or beauty
leading the vice
versa can also work too. But of course
it does.
  
  
When you follow the time
is all backwards, is it all or apart.
When you follow this
had to add up to itself before
its presentment. And we who have time
at hand, as our stick, as our
eye leading the eye. Hand
held open to mock
  
  
What is that we are doing:
tradition, childhood, that wild
& whirring. That faux seeing.
Words are a net closing in
on the subject
of guilt, purpose, love
or presentment, swearing
blindness. Otherwise,
they are mirrors-for-
eyes. Either way dogs
do not have to bear all this
being four times more
grounded by earth &
sky.
  
  
But what is he doing now.
And what she is following
before him, leading him on
to the story of eyes.
It was older than that. It started
with she as matter
of course. No as he
as bones for eyes.
Taken as closing or doing
or wanting. Ha
he is – uh ah – she has
started the game where
the dog is meaning
foregrounded, intent
is unknown. No but how
known the dog is the she-wolf,
bitch is the earth. We come
after that meaning, suddenly
coming to life in this dangerous line
that does us no obvious good.
  
  
The thread is that too. But what were we
saying for. Dog is a dreamer who needs
to survive in the beauty’s glow. Walking
that line is a line of much weight.
Many centuries flowing & pressing
on her but on him. And we dreamt
while we were awake.
  
  
Was this a terror of things. And we work
for that. Noiselessly toiling,
trailing our hopes in the dust
for the birds to follow our meaning
seed. Loam in our heart.
Sky is untouched, but the river
follows the bends of our meaning
obviously. Jumps ahead to the place
– we will be when we come
down to earth
for a final time. Before the beginning.
  
  
We have that terror, that hook
at the end of the line. Knowing always.
Dog does not have to bear so much
freedom or pain. Is mere cipher
of line, hook
for this story that’s leading. Untilwe start back at the end.


                                     Emily Critchley








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