Innumerable sights are lost in the billowing of dust storms, as one races down a country road. I find more pleasure in the rising insignificant puffs of dust as my footfalls disrupt the earth. The ultimate destination on walks such as these can be found beyond a pasture of cows, past a warren of rabbits, and at the crest of a hill, whose view encompasses miles of emerald and golden countryside. My brother Justin and I fell in love with the tiny herd of goats that lives there. We whiled away countless summer days trekking out to visit our hilltop inhabiting friends. Many carrots, laughs, bleats, and smiles were shared. This haiku is a memory and emotion, summoned out of time, and the hazy heat of a season past. It is the welcoming of a new friend, the quiet anticipation of new beginnings, and the eternal warmth of a summer remembered.

This haiku was written in memory of my first dog, Star. Eleven years ago my family and I visited an animal shelter and were drawn to a litter of abandoned puppies. We were fascinated by a quiet black fur ball hiding in the corner. It was his bashful nature which allowed Star to grow into a dog who loved every misfit animal in our varied menagerie, which included everything from rabbits to peacocks. As he changed from a pup into a dog, his loyalty to his adopted family, both humans and animals, deepened. He defended the weakest animals from terrors such as foxes and coyotes, yet never complained when baby rabbits used his nose as a springboard. He knew exactly who his family was and spent every day trying to make us as safe and happy as he felt. It is for that reason that no matter how many dogs I may have in this lifetime, none will ever replace that tiny miscellaneous mutt who so effortlessly, faithfully, and completely transformed into my star.