Jean Rodenbough
KATIE SINGS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
When morning sunlight
weaves its rays through
branches bare of leafy beauty
Katie finds her beagle voice.
Her platform overlooks
our lower yard ample and wild,
where weeds tight with ivy
and the scent of possum,
or curious cat, or mouse
inhabit her other world.
She offers her staccato song
to squirrels whose tails
flick warnings she ignores,
and instead sings syllables
for dogs behind fences.
Her steady barking breaks
the air apart with shrill
tones pitched to a scale
above our human reach
until today’s coda offers
hymns to birdsong and coon,
cicada and call of crow.
She is cantor for mysteries
that segue into a bid
for her Jack Russell genes
to close with arpeggios
of praise to air and sun.
Author’s Comment: Our beagle-jack russell spends much of her outside time barking to the neighborhood, which sets all the neighbors’ teeth on edge. She barks while indoors as well, causing us to put her out back to share her comments with the neighbors and any wildlife willing to hang around. She actually is a great little dog, and voices her opinions freely when necessary (which is most of the time).
Bio: Jean Rodenbough lives in Greensboro and is a member of the Writers Group of the Triad. She is the author of collections of poetry, fiction, and commentary.
Wild Goose Poetry Review 