Family Dog

His eyes twinkle with questions,
With stars he never knew
When he yelped at the moon,
Too small to fill the night.

Perhaps, then, his stone soul moved,
Stretched from where it began
To hope, to expect,
For a moment, he would see
Beyond his worn world.

Wall after all comes down, though,
Fearing his needs and trusting the years
Had tamed his instinct,
For he no longer howled.

Now he is like us,
Waiting for something else
Not quite found,
In our seldom civility.