Coyote

I hike with my two young girl dogs early in the morning, mostly because they expect it, and they both sit on my chest like the winged incubus from “Gothic” until I cannot breathe. A little like waterboarding, this is dogboarding, but it is not torture for information, it is gentle persuasion in order to get a walk. I am an early riser anyway, and I’m crazy about hiking. It’s true. I am a bit of a creepy nature girl, riding my bike everywhere. Next time you see me I will be wearing a beard made of bees (I know I have said this before but it is my favorite nature girl joke). We hike up in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, to avoid city debris like broken glass and Styrofoam containers of old fried rice from Panda Express. Also we go there because I am always semi-searching for a dead body because I watch too many crime shows on cable.

The best time is right after the sun comes up, and the dew is shiny on the grass and makes a refreshing dog beverage. This morning we went, The New Pornographers loud in my headphones, us three all on leash, into the hills. I saw a pack of coyotes, or I didn’t see them as much as I saw the trees and the grass and the bushes all move in a way that wasn’t the wind rushing through them. A flash of fur, gray and brown and like the dirt and the sky mixed. But a big one stayed behind, his steely eyes locked on mine. I wanted to be scared, because coyotes are known for dognapping, especially delicious little ones like mine, but this big boy, this beautiful wild creature wasn’t interested in them. He was looking at me, and his eyes were soft, and we just stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. His gaze was longing and deep, and seemed to say, “You know, I may not seem like it, but I am a dog too. Not here, not now, not in this life, but maybe, in another time, in another place, I could have been yours.” He turned to join his pack, but then looked back at me, as if to say it again.

6 thoughts on “Coyote

  1. I never realized you were so poetic… Again, I can’t wait to see you at the show in March… I’m really excited to see how stand-up is different in person.

    ~janae

  2. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to give love and feel loved?
    I hope that coyote feels loved in his pack.
    I love you!

    Rice and Beans
    Magnet and Fridge
    Lime and Tequila
    Love and Peace

  3. Beautiful words…Im a Wyoming girl (born and bred) and know Coyote well. What a misunderstood sentient being he is. Maybe Coyote carries a message for you? ;0)

  4. To love and to be loved,
    joy for you and me.
    Everyone of us is lifted up by a higher dream,
    everyone of us is more,
    than we seem.

    You are definitely more than a funny girl, funny girl. Err woman. LOL.

  5. I found your blog and read a few of the posts. Keep up the good work. I am looking forward to checking out more from you in the future.

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