(La Canicula)

Orion's
old hunting dog
rises early in the east,
late summer heat promptly
rouses as well, basks upon his
wrinkled hound skin. He slowly circles,
lies back down on a faded front porch
and gradually closes just one eye,
scratches his pale haunches,
then sinks deep into doldrums
of buried bones he could
still be chewing.
Distant histories; guarding
vast nations and deepest dreams
of nocturnal hunting feats where,
while tracking Sirius visions,
he rushes on in Canis major,
rides dim star-chasmed skies,
stalks hot and sultry seasons
all while reciting Homer's Iliad
verse which stretches out
in scorching reverie,
resolved to take
Achilles down
in the ancient
heat of
Troy.

© by Elizabeth Perdomo.
Used here with the author's permission.