Two Burnt Then Silence

according to reliable chronicles
on the day
when dogs became domesticated
they started barking at the Moon

it’s only clamor
the Moon pays little attention
it considers the dogs bumptious noisemakers

only once
not long ago
about a hundred years ago
the Moon decided it was high time
to bark back at the dogs

it
was only a single yelp
high pitched
but not too loud
and more or less that was
it

except two dogs
two stray mongrels
a couple of useless dagos
named Nick and Bart
they were struck in the wee hours by lightning
a bolt from the impartial sky
and burnt till Hell came
to claim them

as we well know
dogs still keep barking away
but only during the day
or
if the night sky is moonless

when the Moon is guarding the inky yonder
the dogs stay quiet and no wonder
they know what’s good for them

nice and bright
just and right
don’t matter none
the Moon is the State
not the Sun

J.S. O’Keefe’s short stories, essays and poems have been published in Everyday Fiction, WENSUM, Roi Faineant, 101 Words, Spillwords, AntipodeanSF, 50WS, Friday Flash Fiction, etc. Read other articles by J.S., or visit J.S.'s website.