Anita Nahal
Sometimes, when sitting solo, feeling small, quite worthless, guilty for humanity’s misdeeds, or mine, you saunter up, giving me a nudge. That wet, jet black, adorable nose prods my arm. I feel a blob of special paw-luv. Who’d have predicted your slurpy, cool snout would make me feel so warm?
Sometimes, you sit next to me on the couch and people from opposite homes might wonder. Same stance, same posture, same introspection, same puzzlement at the world’s absurdities. Who’d have predicted we’d share an urge for philosophical meanderings?
Sometimes, you offer one paw at a time, entreating for a massage pulling me on cue from some unfulfilled reverie. Who’d have predicted you’d be a natural healer?
Sometimes, when it’s raining or snowing, and you’ve not walked or wild zoomed across the lawns, we fetch, tug, or jam in the garage. Who’d have predicted your antics would help repair my pulled hamstring?
Who’d have predicted your Dennis the Menace grit would bring smiles on the bleakest of days? Who’d have predicted your refusal to come indoors would teach me about communicating with another species? Who’d have predicted your patiently waiting for food would teach me the wisdom of hunger? They say one should not look directly into a dog’s eyes, yet you hold my gaze and reveal traces to the souls of 84 million lives you might have led in search for Nirvana with Parmatma.
Nirvana: Ultimate release and one with the supreme being
Parmatma: Supreme being
Hinduism says that to be born a human one must have lived 84 million times in other forms. The human stage leads on to Nirvana for the lucky ones.
Anita Nahal is an Indian-American-diasporic poet, flash fictionist, children’s writer and columnist, Anita Nahal has two books of poetry, one book of flash fictions, four for children and three edited anthologies to her credit. Her third book of poetry, What’s wrong with us Kali women, is due for release by Kelsay Books in August 2021. Two of her books are prescribed in a course on multiculturalism and immigration at the University of the Utrecht, The Netherlands. She teaches at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington DC. More on her at: https://anitanahal.wixsite.com/anitanahal
Old Water Rat Publishing 