The Pogo Stick and the Striped Ball

A poem about a young man with a pogo stick and a dog playing with a ball.

My six-and-a-half year old,
Ex-neighbor’s screaming,
Playful son hoists his sneakers
On a fully spring-loaded,
Metallic pogo stick,
Bouncing in unison to the screeching echoes
From this lively, kinetic distraction.
On the still sidewalk of his parents’
Two-story, well-furnished new home,
His bright brown eyes flame with
Glistening excitement.
But the monumentally dull, sporadic bursts
Of closely guided movement
Soon disinterest the bored, weary hopper,
And this energetic, growing lad
Seeks out the company of the family pet,
A long-haired, Alaskan-style, scruffy,
And alert watchdog.
The loquacious child calls to the busy canine,
Who is frolicking contently with a blue
And red striped, rubbery ball
Which he often claws at with his paws and jowls,
Attempting to coral it.
The friendly youth rolls the multi-colored ball
Toward the eager and captivated dog;
They rekindle the fondness of boy and pet,
Together on a calm, uneventful afternoon
In quiet, modest suburbia…