Diana Darby ** "I V" ** Intravenous

If I Were A Dog

My next door neighbor’s dog is barking
again.
At what,
I do not know.
But he keeps barking
over and over
and it’s making me nervous.
I’m imagining intruders.
I’m imagining someone coming up behind me and strangling me
like they did to Grace Kelly in Dial ‘M’ For Murder.
I’m imagining the cord around my neck and my slow death.
It feels so real I turn to look over my shoulder,
but no one is there.
Still more barking.
Why does he keep barking?
I do not see anyone or anything.
No strange car.
Or man.
Or animal.
Nothing.
Bark.
Bark.
Bark.
What is wrong with that dog?
Maybe he’s insane.
For years he’s barked at me
every time I walked down my driveway
to get the mail or go on a walk.
And for what?
He knows who I am.
He’s seen me a thousand times.
And still he barks at me.
Why?
He chases every car
and bus
and tricycle
that goes by.
And what does it get him?
If I were a dog
I would go over there and ask him
why he does what he does.
Then again,
if I were a dog,
I would probably know.