Hope is the thing that growls at dawn when you poke it with your toes. yowls and yawns. chases sunrise into the kitchen. kibble clinks tin, kettle whistles, toast pops, slurpy slops. hope pricks up its ears, chases its tail, guards the yard. hope squirrels away memories. piney hikes, campsites, gnawed sticks, marshmallow licks. hope pulls the lead. hope rescues. rangy, mangy, flea-bitten, parasite ridden. hope circles, settles, claims a spot by the hearth. hope is the thing that stays with you even when thunder drives her under the bed.

Lisa Henner is a writer and educator. She co-founded the Driftless Writing Center in Viroqua, Wisconsin where she lives with her husband and two indulged dogs.