Analysis of a midnight walk with five dogs

breeze on a warm summer midnight brought an aroma of city pavement
reek in all sorts of odor emanating from sewers and uncollected trash
my canine companions all five of them excitedly chased stray cats
barking at every pedestrian through iron grills separating them
as if it were not enough the peeing at every vehicle parked at the lot
to mark their territory
the stars obscured by glare of city lights flickering on dark moonless sky
the hum of now sparse traffic on our street belies the snarl of daylight
I trudged along the brick lined ground in straight pattern back and forth
the beads purposely counted to mark the progress of my muted prayers
my thoughts singled out the needy the abandoned the sick and the dying
to the fringes of my faith