When our last dog Keeper was a puppy, he escaped out of our yard and I went tearing around the neighborhood calling his name. I eventually ran into someone who said, “Oh, I think I just saw him — at the house with the chickens?” My heart dropped. Chickens? Had our dog killed a neighbor’s chickens? I looked beseechingly at the dog-spotter who, recognizing my panic, said, “Oh, don’t worry. He was… frolicking with them!” And that’s really how Keeper was, his whole long life. A big lug but a total softie.

Well, apparently: redux. Because I discovered this morning that our new pup, Poppleton, admires ducks. There’s no other word for it. And who can blame him?

Haiku 13, 2026

There’s no kerfuffle
Just these concentric circles
Ducks, dog and water