Dog of Joy

[This morning, watching another black dog at the beach,I was reminded of my big black dog of joy, who cracked me up every day of our life together for fourteen years.]

My eyes went right to him,

a black lab mix,

whose people were ignoring him.

No matter.

He knew how to have fun

all by himself.

He was pouncing on the sand,

leaping from side to side,

a loopy grin on his face.

Then he would dig, furiously,

for a few moments,

and return to his 

side-to-side dance.

He was digging up

a buried stick,

with the most intense delight.

He made me laugh,

and remember.

I fed him a cookie,

and his nose snuffled 

into my pocket.

He wanted the second one, too,

which I was happy

to give.

It was small payment

for a moment of joy,

this morning on the beach,

in the amber September sun.

for Karin's prompt at Real Toads: Thinking of the Little Things: to write about a small moment, one of those moments that remind us how good life is, no matter what the larger world happens to be doing.