English #frapalymo: Dogs Go to Heaven

Lick my face, tell me
I’m not dreaming. My
scent lingers on your
damp nose long after
they’ve buried me.
Had they said man
and beast existed together
in more than one realm,
you would’ve dug through
the shoveled dirt sooner,
tangled my bones within
your thick, wool-like fur.
It’s true that God drew
woman from my side—
a helper to rule the earth.
But He pinned the wagging
tail on the hind of the
four-legged mutt for the seventh-day
rest. My palm underneath
your snout, scratching behind
floppy ears, your paw on my knee.
Forever my companion.

© 2016 Nortina Simmons

Written for Frau Paulchen’s Lyrik Monat, which translates from German to Mrs. Paulchen’s Poetry Month. Today’s prompt is “dogs.”