Blog #12

"When we stop talking, we hear the soft sounds/ He makes in his sleep. Not quite barking. More like/ Learning to speak. As if he's in the middle of a scene/ Where he must stand before the great dog god/ Trying to account for his life" (Smith 61).

I love these lines because they take the concept of something so familiar and common to many of us- a dog barking in its sleep- and interprets it as otherworldly.  The mention of "the great dog god" is especially unique, and it paints a sort of comical yet profound image in the reader's head.  Something so normal usually goes unnoticed by someone, yet this poem explains it in a way that makes it much more important.  I also think the breaks in the lines, along with the punctuation, are purposeful and encourage the reader to pause at certain times.  The diction is simple and the lines are straightforward.