Dog Tags
there was the grave
my sis and i had to dig in the yard
& then i had to find music
that didn’t make me cry
so hard i caused an accident on my drive to work
the sharp June sunlight sniggered
as dog tags jingled
my curly hair turned straight
in-between hair fell out
with a pure sleep,
& courteous waves
a hundred comrade dogs paddled my dog
to the mother-ship–
the water
the warmth
the left/right/left/right of it all
i had the plague
the rest of the summer
was a scorcher
sunspots
it’s summer & the days never end
you’re a dot & a swim & a drink at the tiki bar
i’m a sunspot, a lawn, & a backlit dog
now is the time for lizarding by the pool
dressed in fancy next-to-nothings
now is the time for wilting in the quilt-like heat
when the pavement sizzles in the afternoon glare
we brace ourselves
for the Venusian air that gushes out
when we open our parked car’s door
autumn we glimpse from a million miles away
but fall’s held captive this year
& no one’s allowed to complain
except when your bald spots get sunburned
Copyright © Eileen Murphy 2018
A former Chicagolander, Eileen Murphy now lives 30 miles from Tampa with her husband, three dogs, and one cat. She teaches literature and English at Polk State College in Lakeland.
The Open Mouse 
Thank you, The Open Mouse, for publishing my poems over the years; you were one of my faves. Best of luck to Editor Extraordinaire Colin Will in his future endeavors!