Sit behind the village lee wall
the sun warms there even now
three days before a new year.
Seven dogs,
not mine,
are doing ditto,
a husky male wants to sit beside me
but is chased away by a black Labrador bitch
she’s the leader;
pat her head
she looks around in triumph.
Glum clouds block the sun
and it is instantly cold,
get up and leave,
the dogs follow suit
stretch sniff the air and each other,
head for the bushes behind the apple orchard,
where rabbits too have been enjoying the winter sun.