Poetry Month 2013 - Day Three

A man

A man sits down to supper with a bowl of soup.

After eating, fully dressed, he climbs into bed.
The overhead light he forgot to turn off
watches him in his sleep. His dog lies next to him.
A neighbor calls but the man doesn’t hear the ring.
The dog’s ears point to the ceiling. The man stirs.
The dog licks his owner’s face. The man gets up
to go to the bathroom. He puts on his shoes,
brushes his teeth and takes the dog out -
the overhead light still on.

-          Esther Altshul Helfgott