This Dog Shall Pass

I live next to a 7/Eleven. A small dog barks furiously,
tied to a chain-link fence that separates our properties.
The menacing yelps, yipping and wailing drones on & on.
Unable to concentrate, I walk out the back porch
to confront the creature's owner & find my two cats
staring disinterestedly in the opposite direction.
I return to my room. That was several years ago but even
today I employ this technique whenever the need arises.

Michael G. Hickey received an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of Washington in 1992, and currently teaches poetry and English composition in Seattle.