Water Bowl

My cat and dog

lean over their bowls

and drink the cool,

clear water together.

The cat laps at the liquid

with dignity

and quiet.

The dog, meanwhile,

lashes at the water,

leaving vacant stains on the floor.

Yet I am not sure which

is “better”:

the cat,

refined in her

small sips,

or the dog,

mouth gulping,

the bowl

threatening to topple;

for she is so wild,

ecstatic in her need

for the water,

so full

of life.

 

Conor Crockford, USA