Frank Rossini

the dog’s job

the dog jumped off the bed last night & ran
barking into the dark I followed
because someone stole the battery
from my neighbor’s car last week
& because it was hot & all our windows
open I didn’t know exactly
what I’d do if I came face
to face with a thief my fighting
days long over but there was no one
in the darkness & all that was stolen
was precious sleep & my place
in bed where the dog her work complete
quickly returned through the dark
unseen & lay curled
on my cool
pillow

Frank Rossini grew up in New York City and moved to Eugene, Oregon in 1972, where he
taught at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College for forty years. He has
published poems in various magazines including Chiron Review, Raven Chronicles, and
Paterson Literary Review. sight | for | sight books will publish a new book of his poems,
last confession, in February 2021.