Rainberry Dog Park
my home-
my community-
a dog park…
with one-way sidewalks
with neighbors who yelp and yap and growl at my wife
instead of Chuck next door saying “Hey Bob, how’s it goin?”
now when we walk at night
our neighbors bark at us,
stray dogs,
dogs behind fences,
two dogs on leashes
and sometimes three
for every owner???!
and dogs of all sizes
huge like SUV’s
the bigger the better,
the louder the more secure
our neighbors figure
“help, honey, help!” my wife screamed last month
chased by a dog on one of those long leashes,
“it’s okay”, the owner reassuringly laughed,
“he doesn’t bite”…
that’s good,
but now my wife is afraid to go out for a walk
and should I carry a cane or worse?
and the times my shoes have gotten dirtied
checking the mail after work
in my own front yard?!
and the crazy dog stories we hear:
Bob getting attacked in backyards fixing sprinklers
or just walking by someone’s house...
really?
is it okay cause: “he doesn’t bite”?
and the time the other Wednesday night
walking by four or five dogs
owners laughing and talking
a woman arrogantly shouts “we don’t hear any problem”
above the chorus of yelps
after I had to move off into the road
into oncoming traffic---
yes, neighbors,
there is a problem
some can’t see:
folks just hear what we want to hear and disregard the rest…
how long do we compensate for these new neighbors
who have populated our community these past few years
along with the foreclosures
and the squatters
who don’t seem to hear or care?
who don’t understand all the quiet and peaceful years before them?
can we get a handle on this situation?
it’s our reputation
it’s our community
these are our hard working streets!
but as for me…
my afternoon leisurely walks
have become late night covert operations
to try and avoid these new neighbors
just to take my daily doctor mandated walk
just to enjoy our once peaceful Rainberry Lake
even though I know it’s an illusion
even though I know…
it’s getting pretty clear…
my time has come
Delray Beach
5/7/11