Aggro Zen

A short story of pre-visualization.

Aggro-

According to the Urban Dictionary this is 

a term that has been used for decades by surfers and other water-headed types to describe someone who is overly and unnecessarily aggressive, competitive, or asinine whilst in the water. prolonged exposure to the aggro can ruin even the best session, so "deal" with them immediately (read: choke with your leash then return to your state of zen-like calm once they are dead)

I like the image of chilled out surfers 

choking 

aggressive surfers with their leash

 and then 

calmly going back to a zen state with the waves…

the breath of the planet… 

I recall a childhood memory of Mr. Dooley, 

our family protector, 

a spirit animal of German Shepherd - Collie decent

always with us, watchful, in the yard.

It is summer.

Mr. Dooley, ever vigilant, resting in the shade,

brother in the sandbox, nation building.

Upside down, I rest in the tree above them.

enter:

a particular neighborhood cat

this cat 

taunted us daily, 

pacing and calling out from the fence top.

nameless, testing, marking, rattling its tail

several days passed in this way…

It was hot. 

Texas Hot.

The particular cat sauntering along the fence line 

measuring; 

marking the boundary.

Mounting the fence, 

walking the usual path

calling out..

On the eighth day,

Mr. Dooley rose stretching his body…  

he walked to the fence 

and

In a singular, elegant gesture cleared the top

grabbing the cat by the head as he passed

one smooth motion of his head upon landing, 

cat neck breaking, 

head releasing;

cat body suspended weightless in backward rotation

and Mr. Dooley…

bouncing back up

over the fence 

to lay down in the shade of his favorite tree 

ever watchful

as if 

nothing 

happened.

and that

is how I remember the zen duet with a particular cat.