Test
she appeared
with a little black dog
from a distance
she’d seemed so happy
must have been a mirage
for this was a sad soul
and told me so
the little black dog was new
the one she had before
had died not long ago
round about the time she lost her job
and found out she was sick with something
she said she didn’t know how much more she could take
“hard lessons,” she said
nodded my head and wished her better days
that her little black dog would help her get out of bed
and get her out the door and down the street
back on her feet
TL