It was a town where dogs chased
anything that moved. Bikes, cars,
you. People left their gates open
a crack. The dogs knew to wait
until you were upon them before
exploding into carols of snarl.
Frothing, raging, this-chain-isn’t-
going-to-stop-me spasms that’d
end abruptly when you hightailed
it around a corner, ass forward,
legs pinwheeling, the dog behind
you doing whatever it is dogs do
when they laugh to themselves.