There was a dog
By Tara Pryzbille Bradley

I like to think
that he liked to think of himself
as ‘Rex’
and he was gentle
and soft
and black

One day
Rex found a frog
in his yard
(probably because he lived
by a creek)

Immediately upon sniffing the frog
Rex understood
that jumping frogs
were exciting
(as we all know
jumping frogs are)

Rex’s head bobbed up
and bobbed down
as he watched the frog
and followed the frog

Soon the frog
got a bit tired
and sat still
Rex didn’t want the frog
to sit still
because sitting still is
not exciting

So Rex nudged the frog
with his nose
and the frog jumped
and Rex followed
and nudged again
and bounce went
the frog
and Rex barked
and Rex pounced
ever so lightly upon
the frog
and the frog bounced

and this became a
Very Fun Game

Dog: nudge
Frog: bounce
Dog: bark
Dog: pounce
Frog: bounce
Dog: nudge
Frog: bounce
Dog: bark
Dog: pounce
Frog: bounce

I like to think Rex
liked to think
this was only in fun
simple
gentle
fun

Frog started to slow down
his bounces got slower
and lower
Confused at this change of pace
Rex would gently tilt
his soft black head
and nudge the slow frog
and nudge the low frog

After all this
the frog stopped
just stopped dead
in Rex’s tracks

Rex nudged
and pounced
and barked and barked and barked
to wake up that frog
the way Rex tilted his head
was sad
but the frog just wouldn’t move

So Rex softly
gently(as Rex is)
picked up in his
slobberdogmouth
that very still frog
tossed his head
and let go

The frog
for the first time in its very short life
flew
and (as is customary) landed

and didn’t move

so Rex barked hopefully
and nudged encouragingly
but yet that
slow, low, still stopped frog
did not move

Sadly Rex took it up in his mouth
again
and tossed
again
and the frog was
airborne again
grounded again
over and over

still dead
that frog was

I like to think
Rex liked to think
that frog
played dead