Raining in the New Year

This is the kind of weather

where you don’t want

to let your dog outside

because you know

she’ll be having way too much

doggie fun, will never come back in

when you call and call, digging deep,

deep in the mud, and rolling

in every puddle in the yard,

a dervish dirt gumbo spinning her joy,

so you will have to go out there

and bring her back, and you

will be soaked to the bone marrow,

so wet no towel ever made will dry you

or her, your muddy little buddy.