Black dog on the sand at sunset. Pouncing on sea foam, racing waves, turning to see how far behind are the man and woman on the sand. Clay-colored dog in the glowing coral house risen high in the dunes. Raising his head and sniffing the salt air. Black dog. Black dog on the sand. Clay-colored dog barks and paws. Door of the high glowing house opens. Thunkathunkathunkathunk. Clay-colored dog runs from the house aglow. Black dog folds himself into the sand, ears pinned back. Clay and black in the sun-going-down dunes.Silent feather dogs dance and spin. Into the salt waves and out again. Race the tide line, wet tails streaming, and back again.Black dog’s man and woman wander down the sand. Black dog. . . black dog. . . Clay-colored dog stands still. Far down the beach is an open door in a house aglow. Clay-colored dog turns and runs. Black dog’s woman watches clay-colored dog, puffs of sand rising. Clay-colored dog: a far-off horse galloping through hills behind clouds, into the dunes, onto the boardwalk, toward the house aglow.

To be a clay-colored dog. To be a dog who runs like a horse. To be a dog who leaps like a spinning feather. To be, only to be, no idea how beautiful you are.