Exhausted from the 
two thousand mile 
trek west 
to the wild and wooly West 
with their Chocolate Lab, 
the couple slumped 
onto the couch 
in their condo 
as the lab lounged 
at their feet 
and at five p.m. 
Mountain Time 
the sun began 
to set on the little, 
desert hill 
out the sliding door. 
“Oh, look, dear,” he 
mumbled, 
“The snow has melted on 
Everest and the peak 
is glowing gold. 
Tomorrow, we should climb 
without oxygen
and pan for that 
precious metal.” 
With that, he fell asleep
and his wife turned off
the wild adventure 
channel on the T.V.