By Juleigh Howard-Hobson
Last Memory, With Dogs
When I was younger—I’d just turned nineteen–
I went for a last walk with my old man.
We took two dogs of his along, being
A convenient excuse to have at hand
For what we were both doing (it wasn’t
A close relationship, mine and my dad’s).
Neither of us spoke until, as we went
West, we saw the sun setting. I had
Never cared about sunsets before, but
The sudden scarlet beauty of the sky,
(Plus his dying), made me say: “Look.” “Know what
Makes the light look red like that?” he coughed. I
Said: “No.†He spat. “Pollution.” We turned back,
The dogs tired, their leashes hanging slack.
© Juleigh Howard-Hobson
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