{"sf1_id":2247491,"sf2_id":"znJpqgBe","title":"The Black Dog Meets the Devil","author":"Dakaar","words":230,"posted_at":"2025-04-29T19:32:57.000Z","tags":["Poetry"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2247491-the-black-dog-meets-the-devil","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/znJpqgBe","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/9e/51/9e512c94-79b4-4dae-bbbd-8833f7522596","description":"Freeform poetry from the introspective collection, Black Dog, that runs with a folkloric figure that is often associated with misfortune and used as a metaphor for depression. Black Dog looks at this figure and gives him a voice, letting him bark back at a society that's already made up its mind about him.","content":"They say fate is\n\n \n\nthe empty span,\n\nthe brittle\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;gap\n\n   \n\nbetween\n\n \n\n \n\nthen\n\n \n\nand now,\n\n \n\nthat’s why it’s called a\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nleap of fate.\n\n \n\n\"That’s not what it’s called\"\n\n \n\nsaid the Black Goat, at the crossroads\n\n \n\nof his patience.\n\n \n\nHe had lost count of the souls\n\n \n\nhe had met, in need, on this dim corner\n\n \n\nbut could not recall meeting\n\n \n\na soul so lost\n\n \n\nor a soul so in need\n\n \n\nof a fucking clue\n\n \n\nas the Black Dog.\n\n \n\nThe Black Dog had just been glad\n\n \n\nto share the night\n\n \n\nnow he was expected\n\n \n\nto want something.\n\n \n\nHe’d only ever known how to be grateful.\n\n \n\n\"If you could have anything, right now, what would it be?\"\n\n \n\nTime slurs\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nspace cracks\n\n \n\nand, for an instant, his face\n\n \n\nfalls.\n\n \n\nFate is the open door\n\n \n\nin which the Black Dog stands\n\n \n\nprocrastinating.\n\n \n\nThe Devil plays with idle hands\n\n \n\nbecause doing nothing drives him fucking nuts\n\n \n\nand the Dog sure was something\n\n \n\nin need of doing.\n\n \n\nIn the end, he took the Black Dog\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nround the corner by the scruff\n\n \n\nand got stuck in\n\n \n\nto the rut\n\n \n\nthat the Dog had worked himself into,\n\n \n\nshowed him his horns\n\n \n\nmade him see stars turned upside down.\n\n \n\nThe Black Dog, back against the wall\n\n \n\nthen chest against the dirt,\n\n \n\nhis tail anywhere\n\n \n\nbut between his legs,\n\n \n\nhowled his want at last.\n\n \n\nThe Black Goat let him have it.","series":{"name":"Black Dog","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2246199-black-dog-fishing.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2250988-the-black-dog-learns-to-read.json"}}