Dante and other rough beasts

 In the middle of our journey we find ourselves

with the path lost in dark woods,

she sits on a bench and opens a bag of crunchies

we packed for such an occasion,

while being eaten the crunchies turn Into purple butterflies

which we follow to a clearing where the ground is covered with water

and a dozen pit bulls wait to give us a warm welcome

and move together as one large body past

so as not to tempt the alligators on the high ridges. 

We follow close behind until we come to a beaver dam

and cross it with the water to the bellies of the beasts

and overtop our shoes but beyond the dam

lies green dry grass and a parking lot and a Walmart. 

 And while the dogs dry in the warm sun

we take our sloshy shoes inside and buy

blindingly white twenty dollar shoes and thick towels

and a dozen clean dry new pairs of tube socks. 

 While the dogs gather round

we dry our water shriveled feet

and put on the clean socks and blinding shoes, 

 saving the spare socks 

 for another wet day is sure to come. 

 The police find us in the morning surrounded by the dogs 

and say we better move on, so we do, eating a loaf of bread 

 someone brought us in the night. 

 The path appears ahead 

in the sunlight of another day.