The Vision of the Hound

I.
      mother i am afraid 
      mother i hear things 
           in the night ‹ a whimpering
           & scratching at the door
           & sometimes ‹ a bark

      mother i hear voices
      growling at the door
      bark! bark! out 
      of the canine darkness 
      of the night
      
      where is the dog?


II.
      this is the hound of deception 
      this is the hound of beginnings 
      and the hound of endings 
      this is the hound of what if?

      this is the hound of loneliness and fear 
      this is the hound of searches in the night 
      this is the hound of questions 
      hound of the grail