Ruby
When she bounds down the steps each morning
orange-bellied robins burst upward in all directions
as her sleek black form zig-zags the yard.
Ears up, tail straight, paws searching
she sniffs the crevice where yesterday
a snake’s head emerged undetected by her
upright and shining
like an emerald-turquoise loch monster.
I wonder how she envisions
the secrets lying in that shadow
where rock erupts from soil
and the scent of reptile skin.