five stanzas for enso

i love the round sound your tongue makes
when it curls back into your mouth

like a the sound of a large marble

dropping into a quiet pond

from just above the surface

i love the uplifted yearning angle of your head

and the rabbit twitches in your left hind leg

when i find that one spot on your neck

where the white of your chest

meets the black of your shoulder

i love the long grunt you make

when you wake for a moment

and stretch the black fur bouquet of your legs

all the way down to your toenails

before falling right back asleep

i love how you ride shotgun

when we drive home from the park

your big head sticking out

the passenger side window

and your cheeks rippling in the wind

i love the way your forepaws

pin my left foot to the floor

as you work on your rawhide bone

and every time i run my hand across your side

your tail spins like a propeller.