{"sf1_id":2253738,"sf2_id":"Oe5lr4M1","title":"The Black Dog Tries to Meditate","author":"Dakaar","words":129,"posted_at":"2025-05-19T15:12:47.000Z","tags":["Poetry"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2253738-the-black-dog-tries-to-meditate","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Oe5lr4M1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/a3/ea/a3ea042a-6561-49a4-85ca-e20735e7acb9","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":"Oh, to be like smoke when he comes apart,\n\n \n\nand move, in pieces, unbothered by the tangible.\n\n \n\nHe watches it rise up\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nwhile he lies there, heavy as sand\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nand twice as disparate.\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nIt’s only pieces, but while he sprawls and falls to bits\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nit seems able, effortless as ignition, to leave it all behind,\n\n \n\nlet the ashes tumble away\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nand just\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nascend.\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nHe aspires to incense - to levitate, holy, empty as clouds - but he is grit between toes,\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\na beach without waves,\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\ncoarse as deserts and colder at night.\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nHe envies these small\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nand momentary things,\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nsmoke curling from a porcelain censer, embittered\n\n \n\nby his relatively lasting self\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nunable to do a conscious thing right, when a coil of scented vapour\n\n \n\nnails it\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\ninstantly\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nbefore passing.","series":{"name":"Black Dog","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2250988-the-black-dog-learns-to-read.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2255785-black-dog-escapism.json"}}