Katnis the Matriarch
During this part of my life we live in the woods- massive fields cradling us
The perfect sledding hill to our left that overlooks an herb farm.
Katnis, the secretive black lab, lumbers outside in the snowy Maine terrian
She is the matriarch of our odd little family
Protective of each member in the softest way
Her time outside is her secret time
When the playful puppy inside her ventures out
Peering through the dining room window I watch her prance to the top of the hill
Cautiously she looks around- unwilling to share this side of herself with anyone else
Once the coast is clear she plops her body into the snow
She starts a dance few will ever see
It begins by Wiggling her chubby body in the snow
Soon she begins to slide
The hill carries her down toward the farm in a gentle glide
I watch her squirm in the snow to propel herself further
She comes to a stop and eases her way to standing
Like a yogi after a long session
I stand in the window a witness to her sacredness
Her limber body finally shakes the remaining snow off and she looks around
Still unwilling to share this part of her day with the rest of us
