Feeling stupid after an email conversation, I go out to exercise the dog. The oval lies over-sheened with western sun. Light billows like a sheet, particulate and all-pervasive until I shade my eyes. The dog scoots, mostly ignoring the ball which I throw for my own exercise, walking on and to pick it up and throw again.
The stupid feeling persists like tears in my throat despite a say-again breeze and all the catch-me-can-blue. I look up. White hessian clouds matt the sky. I stand for a minute, head tilted, sucked up into their warp and weft, entranced by the regularity.
Back on the ground, the dog has disappeared into a ditch which I know contains a perpetually smelly puddle. He’s due for a haircut and I know he’s hot after all his running ignoring the ball. I don’t even bother to call. Sure enough, he emerges in knee-high baggy grey socks, loping in a pleased way. “You’re going to need a bath!” I tell him, pitying myself more than him. He looks at me for a couple of seconds, seems to understand, and runs away.
Still water on sodden ground tainted with burned tyres. Bruise and bruise again.
Written for MerrildSmith’s dVerse haibun challenge: “Look Up!”
Out of the Cave 
Very descriptive! I enjoyed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love it wormie 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your original description, “warp and weft” is perfect! The dog running at bath time resonates, it is a chore to keep them clean when there are so many tempting puddles out there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Tricia. ❣️
LikeLiked by 1 person
💓
LikeLike
Very gritty and raw in its essence. Captures the everyday aspects of life in a vivid, descriptive way. I liked this a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Nitin!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such vivid descriptions of nature–and your dog! I love the muddy knee socks. 🙂
There’s a sense of unsettledness to the haibun. I hope the day got better!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! The dog got his bath. Think I used half a bar of sunlight soap on him. As I scrubbed away I remembered that a stolen car was burned in that smelly puddle a couple of weeks ago. Was actually quite concerned about the toxins the dog may have lapped up! So far so good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, and I’m glad your dog is OK (and clean). 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is fabulous. For a moment, I was a bystander watching the whole thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Misky. ❣️ Much appreciated
LikeLiked by 1 person
The aggravation with your dog’s behavior seems to parallel the aggravation of the email exchange. It’s funny how that happens. Can’t say you didn’t try to walk it off. Hope everything has smoothed out now…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really good writing! Enjoyed it very much!
LikeLike