The little dog stood at the edge
where the sand met the water,
barking,
taking courage that the wave retreated,
barking louder in fear as the sea returned.
He pounced. Water retreated,
he pranced with joy;
fingers of water returned
to catch him in his pride.
The little dog did not understand this cycle,
treating each rise and fall
as a new occurrence,
a new test of his power.
He had not weathered a storm
nor seen the power of his adversary.