There is a black dog following me.
He seems to have come out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting him.
There is a black dog following me.
If he catches me, he will sit on my chest - heavy, and large enough to hide me even from myself.
I know, because he caught me once before.
I am with the children and I see him creeping up.
I tell them about the Exercise Game. We will run, and shout. We will check our pulses afterwards, and look at our rosy cheeks. The dog cannot keep pace with us, and we outrun him.
When the baby is wrapped snugly onto my chest, there is no room for the dog, and I am safe.
The dog is not strong enough to follow me in the sunshine, and I dance in its rays. But this is a land of clouds, and I must find a rainbow to carry in my pocket.
I saw him again the other day. Just around a corner. I will tell Hubby and he will help me get more sleep tonight and I can outrun the dog again tomorrow.
I think I can hear his panting breath, so we start to sing. I cannot hear him over the gleeful shouts of 'Ting, tang, Walla-walla bing bang' and I smile.
I know the dog is afraid of laughter. I tell the kids silly Knock, Knock jokes that they are too young to really understand. Obediently, they smile. In a riot of giggles, they come up with their own silly joke that I am too old to really understand, but their laughter is infectious and our tummies soon ache with joy.
There is a black dog following me. I will not let him catch me.
