76. A walk (and dog) for peace

In October, nineteen monks who live in the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana in Fort Worth, Texas, began a 2,300-mile walk toward Washington, DC, their goal being to promote unity and compassion. The route will take them through ten states over the course of 110 days. In late December, they arrived in Atlanta. They expect to reach DC in February. You can follow their journey on Facebook and Instagram.

But the reason I mention them is that this morning we Howlers met, as we do each week, to discuss a poem. Somehow the subject of dogs came up, and with it the fact that early along their way the monks gained a fellow walker: a stray dog whom they named Aloka. Aloka is perhaps an Indian Pariah breed. He has (of course) his own Instagram page, "Aloka the Peace Dog." 

Here are a few photos:

And so it felt serendipitous when I opened the book that we work from, only to find the following poem, a sweet villanelle! It is dedicated to the author's goldendoodles:

Canine Superpowers

by Michael Kleber-Diggs

     Como Park, Woodland Outdoor Classroom—for Ziggy and Jasper

We stroll the grounds and stop at every tree,
at every chicken bone, each new coneflower.
Their noses lead to everything we see.

I'd be asleep if it were up to me.
Still slick with dew, this city park seems ours
as we stroll the grounds and stop at every tree.

Perils persist—real possibilities.
I scan the grass for things they can't devour;
their noses notice things that might harm me.

Sometimes we'll spot a fox, surprise a bee,
find trash, broken glass, have a sad encounter
on our daily rounds to check on every tree.

Three times we've come upon wild coyotes,
sensed before seen through canine superpowers.
All of them have smelled what I'm soon to see.

They stare. We stare. There's no anxiety.
Milliseconds transform into hours.
We stroll the grounds and stop at every tree.
Their noses lead to everything I see.