29/10/2025
When I am not dog walking, I work as a poet. I have been lucky enough to have two volumes of poetry published by KT Publications and have had individual poems published in various publications.
I have performed my poetry at various events.
This is a poem I wrote about what is every dog walkerβs nightmare.
Needless to say, I am very vigilant and make sure this never happens π€¦ββοΈ
DOG WALKER
One time
I let slip a lead
And the terrier ran away
Hopelessly fast
And unreachable
My footsteps sounded
Like they belonged to someone else
The scuff and slap
Of boots on tarmac
Were like a stranger running after me
The estate
Was a warren of identical houses
Conifers and electric cars
It was like a house of mirrors
Or the maze I got lost in at the castle when I was ten
Or the time I got twisted up in my bed sheets
And couldnβt find my way out
My mother was laughing too much
To help
And so I rolled around like a caterpillar
In a chrysalis until I found a gap of daylight
And crawled out
I found him after a period of time
That I did not measure
My lungs ached
And my face was tight with dried tears
He was back at his house
Leash tangled at his feet
And his black eyes blinked
Over his panting tongue
My frantic body
And shaking arms
Could only hold his collar
As I tightened it
There was an explosion of relief
That left me listening to my rushing blood
A touch of metal buckle against dog fur
An ending of senselessness
A howl of wolves in the woods below
Even though I knew it was fanciful
I still hear their calling now