Old Bones
Jerry Gidner
​
Bella woke up at 3:23 a.m.,
lumbered to her feet.
She turned in a circle three times,
clockwise,
then collapsed back down
with a plop and a thud and a sigh.
Dancing to music only old bones can hear.
(NOTE: Bella, the much beloved dog that I wrote this poem about, passed away in late June 2022. She visits me in my dreams on a regular basis.)
Jerry Gidner is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a servant leader, an accidental zoologist, an occasional poet, and an advocate for those—like him—who have Tourette Syndrome. His poems have previously been published in Amlit, Stories at the End of Life, and The En’owkin Journal of First North American Peoples. Jerry has also published an children’s picture book, If You Were an Aardvark, An ABC Book Starring Mammals. Some of his work can be found at jerrygidner.com. Find him on Twitter @JGidnerAuthor.