I Watch Her Walk the Dogs

I watch her walk the dogs with her hoodie 

and their matching green cling sweaters 

and I sense her telling herself she is pretty 

interesting an important a part of the community

and vigilant about hearing gossip 

she can take home and report and discuss 

and thereby inflate her centripetal force 

from the center of the neighborhood 

her sphere of influence and confirm prior beliefs 

about each individual she passes and routinely 

milks for information while keeping in focus the dogs

a foil distracting from her transparent purpose 

in case of an awkward silence or a brush off

from anyone who might see through her