lenten journal: trash day

as I write, Ella,
our Schnauzer
is stretched out
on the bed barking
at the sound of
our neighbor rolling
his big trash cans
out to the curb
she cannot see him,
only hear the rumble
of the plastic wheels
and she is convinced
her sound makes a
difference even though
he doesn’t stop
rolling along and
no one inside
of our house has
made any move
other than to say,
“It’s the guy next door”
and I think about
my barking at the
two boys after lunch
who wouldn’t clear
the tables because
the trash wasn’t theirs
and I wonder if
Ella and I share
something in common
in our futile attempts
to get someone to
keep the world from
filling up with garbage

Peace,
Milton