Poet’s Corner

Springer
By Lucas Thors

There’s this special path
Never covered in leaf litter
Where furry feet constantly compress
So many memories

Arlo springs
Through briars and bright flowers
Black curly ears become airborne
So many acres to soar.

Sometimes we make a game
Out of removing burs and brushing away
The matted tassels
From earlier in the day

Adventures through dew
And misty morning yawns
Arlo is off-leash
Chasing the sprinting fawns

And love can be found
Somewhere off in the woods
One whistle or call
Or sight of a ball

Paws turn to a gallop
Towering pines reveal unbridled excitement
Glimpses of frenetic freedom
Until tags rattle up behind

You can hear his passion
Reverberate through thick underbrush
Like a blast of birdshot
Breaks the brisk dawn quiet

It’s in his nature
To fetch felled fowl
Hit by a hunter’s bullet
No shotguns or rifles here

A stick is a good stand-in
Thrown with an enthusiastic strong arm
How high he’ll spring
Just to show off

Lucas Thors is an assistant features editor for the Martha’s Vineyard Times who lives in Edgartown. He enjoys writing about the many picturesque natural landscapes and ecological treasures of his birthplace on the Island. His favorite styles of poetry are free verse and haiku.

Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems to community@mvtimes.com.