Ghosts of Play

That park echoes with the sound of paws

at play; I close my eyes, try to feel you,

your tail a flag in the warm, rolling breeze.

But it’s only a bark—someone else’s dog,

calling me back to the present,

a phantom chasing shadows.

I see you leaping through grass,

like a comet tracing the sun,

every bound a celebration;

I feel the weight of silence now,

a leash that hangs in the hall,

dust collecting on your favorite spot.

I tread on the same earth we shared,

and my heart thrums with every leap

you took, each moment carved in soft soil,

reminders of joy that linger still—

a wagging memory,

restless as the wind.