Our chocolate lab must
have had a rough
life in his former life —

not abused because he
is so gentle, but neglected
for sure — broken foot,

torn ACLs, elbow dysplasia
turned so arthritic two out
of three vets thought he

had cancer. He’s on
heavy-duty drugs for the
pain and yet he tells me

that he thinks he has
died and gone to heaven
just in the way he sits,

stares at me and, period-
ically, ever so slowly
and sweetly lowers his

eyelids. The vet says
it’s love; it isn’t be-
cause of the drug.