a man, a tree, a dog

by walter w johnson iii

a man sat under a tree with an old yellow dog the tree looked at the sky rain fell from a cloud lightning flashed thunder laughed and the tree split in two the man sat under the northern half the dog sat under the southern half a traveler appeared he had a bag on his back he put the north half of the tree in the bag and walked on a second traveler appeared with a box under his arm he put the south half of the tree in the box and walked on the man and the dog were now exposed to the wind and rain the dog turned into a tree and the man sat under it a princess appeared riding a white dragon and asked the man have you seen my old yellow dog? but the man said ask the rain and the wind and the lightning the princess and the dragon rode on the man is still there talking to the tree and watching the world go by