dog tags

by Eileen Murphy

there was the grave

my sis and i had to dig in the yard

& then i had to find music

that didn’t make me cry

so hard i caused an accident on my drive to work

the sharp June sunlight sniggered

as dog tags jingled

my curly hair turned straight

in-between hair fell out

with a pure sleep

& courteous waves

a hundred comrade dogs paddled my dog

to the mother-ship–

the water

the warmth

the left/right, left/right of it all

* * * * *

A former Chicagolander, Eileen Murphy now lives 30 miles from Tampa. She received her Masters degree from Columbia College, Chicago. She teaches literature and English at Polk State College in Lakeland and has recently published poetry in Thirteen Myna Birds, Tinderbox (nominated for Pushcart Prize), Yes Poetry, The American Journal of Poetry, Rogue Agent, Deaf Poets Society, and other journals. Her website is mishmurphy.com.