Greenlane Poetry

Dog in the Night

First came that sound
not far away beyond a hedge
like barrels rolling down a stair
like sudden thunder in springtime air

then silence fell
on the lane the traffic stopped
then a wailing - car alarm-
perhaps a house? But in the dark
no blue light flashed outside the park

we knew: no siren but a dog
its back leg like another tail
the motorist
examined paintwork but ignored
its frantic spirals in the road

in eerie orange light
picked out floodlit as if on a stage
the black dog's dance had almost stopped
not moving far but screaming still
and headlights coming down the hill

hit it head on
and rolled and trashed it all again
sickened we thought it's over yet
still the shadow jerks in pain
and still the siren wails in vain