Daniel and His Dog

by Thomas Simmonds

He throws the ball
And he retrieves it
Some human-canine dance of sorts
Is this the servant? Is this the master?
Farther, longer, slower, faster
Perhaps it’s something different
altogether

In this little soccer pitch
Time slows down a little
It is a bond of friendship
And one of trust

The verse of action
And the chorus of response
For a little while, the world stops.
He pushes the envelope
And he reacts ever so, to please
And impress

Watching a friend and his four-footed
Companion
Playing catch
On an early summer’s day

Poet Statement: Thomas P. Simmonds has taught at Decatur High School for over two decades and has given several poems, pieces of artwork, and tokens of his appreciation to the numerous staff members and students over the years. This poem was given to Mr. Daniel Mailhot, a math teacher who has since moved on to another district.