A Dog's Dreamsong
January 2026
A Note from the Author
These lyrics were written for my musical "Dogs", inspired by the idea that when our companions fall asleep, they may be running still — together, in memory, in instinct, in some shared dream of pack and wild. I’m sharing them here as a reflection on that quiet, ancient bond: the way dogs carry the wild with them, the way they run beside one another, and the way that connection continues even in rest.
Scene 18 - Dreamsong
“Here’s what really happens when dogs bed down to sleep,”
said by a dog to the young pups all sitting and lying around the campfire in the deep forest.
[Music starts here. First rhythmic sniffing, then rhythmic panting. Fast and exiting bongo drumming starts (sounds like the bongo on Startreck theme) [dum dum dum, dum dum dum, then these beat louder]. Panting sound throughout. Stage is dogs running in a pack. Some side by side. Stage is trees and moonlit snow.]
We softly woof and whimper we flick our little feet
We conjure a connection to ancestors of our past
The wolves, coyotes, and foxes come out to run at last
We race the wild trails like wolves running in a pack
Breast to breast and eye to eye we run and don’t look back
We chase the tail in front of us and keep it in our sight
We’re running all together in the middle of the night
We’re side by side and over my shoulder I can see you there
You’re running and you’re running, running without a care
Chorus
We’re running running, running running, running, yes we’re dogs
We’re running with the wolves, the coyotes, and the fox
We leave behind a wake of tracks of pawprints from our feet
We fly along the milkyway
While in our beds we sleep
Every dog is panting puffs of breath into the air
If our eyes should care to meet we mustn’t lock in stare
We’d raise our lips and bear our teeth and rumble out a growl
Instead we look up at the moon and practice yips and howls
Like a pack of coyotes we are song dogs and we sing
The song we know is well rehearsed just listen to it ring!
We’re running down through canyons, up and over draws
We run along the river, we’re running with our paws
We’re side by side and over my shoulder I can see you there
You’re running and you’re running, running where you dare
Chorus
We’re running running, running running, running yes we’re dogs
We’re running with the wolves, the coyotes, and the fox
We leave behind a wake of tracks of pawprints from our feet
We fly along the milky way
While in our beds we sleep
And at the break of dawn we say goodnight to the moon
We find a place with trees, and drink water that is cool
We lay down in the forest and lick the morning dew
From each other’s legs and paws until the sky is blue
And like a lone red fox we find a solitary bed
In the tall tall grass that grows up high above our heads
We sleep away the bright sunlight hours of the day
We can’t wait for nightfall when a new game we shall play
Crepuscular behavior later whispers us awake
The time has come for us to run get up for heaven’s sake!
This twilight evening we did find that each of us can fly
We’re running yes we’re running, this time high up in the sky
We race along the Milky Way and hunt familiar stars
Did we really grow dog-wings and have we been to Mars?
Or are we just curled up asleep all tucked inside our beds
Is running with the pack at night just dreams all in our heads?
We’re side by side and over my shoulder I can see you there
You’re running yes you’re running, running in thin air!
Chorus
We’re running running, running running, running, yes we’re dogs
We’re running with the wolves, the coyotes, and the fox
We leave behind a wake of tracks of pawprints from our feet
We fly along the milky way
While in our beds we sleep
[All the Dogs bed down to sleep. Some turn a bunch of circles in one direction, then another. Some plop down on top of another Dog. Some are stretched out on their back, etc. Stage goes dark.]