In Bo, The Jetty is Called a Groin 

by Terry Donohue


In Bo, the jetty is called a groin. 
At low tide, its base reveals clusters of sea anemones, mussels, and fragments of shells.

I walk to shake away the incompleteness of the workday.
Leave the next chapters to be encountered tomorrow.

A lady sits on a rock smiling at her yappy little dog running around in circles and then down the beach and back. Yappy sees me, then runs up, yapping, growling, and lunging. 
The little bugger aims to get behind me, trying to nip my ankles. 

I turn to face it and say, go away! Yappy growls more.
I am now annoyed, and distrustful.

The smiling lady reluctantly gets up from the rock she had been sitting on, walks over, and says, “Oh, don't mind my sweet little Peanut; Peanut is harmless.”

“I have heard THAT before! I have been bitten by a so-called harmless dog before. Would you please take Peanut back with you?”

Yappy Peanut grows more fierce. Smiling lady says, “Oh! I see! You have a psychological issue.”

I ask her, “Do you think my psychological issue is at the root of Peanut's behavior? Peanut is going for my ankles!”

Smiling lady answers, “Yes, it is your psychological issue that Peanut senses and I feel sorry for you.”

Calmly, I say, “Get your damn dog on a leash! Dogs who bite people with psychological issues can still be picked up.”

My stomach dropped, I walk away. 

The tide has turned, coming in fast, matching the anger I truly feel as the water swallows up the sea anemones, mussels and fragments of the broken day.


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Terry Donohue is a poet, a short story writer, an artist, a curator, a real estate broker, and the mother of a grown son. Terry currently lives and works in Bolinas, CA, an enclave of many artists. Passionate about the arts, Terry enjoys photography, writing, poetry, and origami art in her free time. She comes from a strong creative background, having worked in the Chicago theater scene after graduating with honors from SUNY Oneonta and was an Arts Columnist for the Point Reyes Light.