In What We Trust (Final)

[tribaltea33]

In What We Trust

Good ole Buck was a big bear
of a dog, an all-black shepherd
with a small white tie on his chest.
One early autumn evening we sat
perched on the top steps of the porch
at my brother’s place, eavesdropping - I love this start. I feel like I'm sitting there with you. 

on the urgent chirping of the last crickets.
A cool breeze stirred up the earthiness - Agree about using earth instead of earthiness
of freshly fallen leaves. Old oaks stretched
moonlit limbs into a clearing at the edge - I personally love the imagery of moonlit limbs in the clearing. I let out an "aw" sound
of shadow filled woods. Buck focused his gaze
on something that I couldn’t quite see.

His gentle orange eyes reflected
the rising moon with an awareness
for which he had no description.  Me?
I imagined bare dogwood branches as arms
cradling that crescent moon; saw mighty Jupiter
wooing the lonely Autumn Star. - Beautiful section

As I pondered the infinite, Buck rested
his furry head upon my shoulder - I think a different adjective to furry would be good here
as if to console me.  How did he seem
to understand what I was thinking?
Though I’d been taught that we were given
dominion over animals, I had to reconsider.

I asked out loud, “if I’m really created
in Your image, then what about Buck?
In whose image was he created?" - I like the double use of created
How is it that this simple animal
seems so finely attuned to something
that I have only half-hearted faith in? - love the use of half-hearted faith in a human to show that Buck has wisdom in his heart

You may think I’m foolish; or confused,
yet I’m certain of that autumn evening - certain of what? I may be missing something obvious there
on the porch; thought of it often
since we buried ole Buck by the brambles - good you included brambles, it adds to the depth of it
near the clearing in my brother’s back yard - maybe change "near" as you have "nearly" in the next line. Or vice versa. 
nearly 40 years ago. 

I took this from my post in MILD, and after incorporating feedback from that forum, I'm posting it here for final critical review.

Perfectly fine. Might be helpful to link to the original below your p.s. - Also wouldn't hurt to add a link to this thread somewhere on the original. If you would like the Mild thread closed to further comment, let me know.

I only joined yesterday but this is my favourite poem read so far. It doesn't try too hard and paints pictures clearly in the mind. I really felt the atmosphere of it and the relationship between you both, and the wisdom of ol' Buck with your humbling questioning "outloud". Sending love to your dog.