Lead On

 Red glaring eyes
Breathing heavily
Nostrils bellowing
Drool hanging down
Foaming mouth corners
It snarls quietly
A guttural growl
It moves slowly
Lumbering towards me
Its intent unclear
I should be fearful
Strangely I am not
Somehow I know
He won’t harm me
He saddles up to me
Stops and stares
One loud bark
Yet I do not jump
His tail, docked
Begins to wag
It abruptly stops
He sits slowly
On my foot
He rubs his head
Against my thigh
He whines
Expecting acknowledgement
I stroke his head
He looks at me
He shows his teeth
But I know
He’s just smiling
He opens his mouth
“Let’s go, carefully”
I grab the harness
“Where are we going?”
I enquire
“To see the master”
He replies
He leads on
I feel content
I feel protected
I feel safe
No longer scared
Such a good idea
Guide dogs
For the dead