"A Dog’s Breath"

Written By

Ann Chiappetta

A hectic day  

a Retreat into four walls of sanctuary

The effort of presentation 

of professionalism, of being evaluated 

And On the lowest rung 

Burned like a premeditative strike.

Was I so horribly misunderstood?  

hopes dissipated

Deflated balloons, once bright and buoyant now

Burst, flatulent and dispersed

There I sat

Fingertips on the keyboard, confidence compromised   

In the office falsetto

I  breathed

And Caught the sound with closed eyes

In-out,  in-out, in-out

A partner in rhythm

Lying by my side.

Ann Chiappetta M.S. author   and poet. Making meaningful connections  with others through writing.

Ann’s nonfiction essays have been printed in Dialogue magazine, among others. Her poems are often featured in Poesis, The Pangolin Review, and Magnets and Ladders. Her poetry is also included in Breath and Shadow’s 2016 debut anthology, Dozen: The Best of Breath and Shadow.  Her   books, a poetry collection, UPWELLING: POEMS C 2016, memoir,  FOLLOW YOUR DOG A STORY OF LOVE AND TRUST C 2017,  and WORDS OF LIFE: POEMS AND ESSAYS  C 2019 are available in both e book and print formats from DLDBooks. Be sure to also check out Ann's blog and personal website!