Because of the competency and care
of our veterinarians, the chocolate lab
sleeps by my side,
very much alive.
He has had a rough ride.
Apparently, neglected in his former life
he now has one good leg out of four.
Once, he might have been a Lamborghini Aventador,
but that was long before he entered our door.
And when his plumbing stopped
we had to hop
on the road and get him back 225 miles
to town nearly non-stop.
The vets unplugged his plumbing much to his relief
and after a few days the tests
alleviated our anticipatory grief —
his second scare with cancer — but cancer free.
And so he sleeps by my side
and, perhaps, dreams of running miles
and miles in the dunes and the countryside,
and I get to appreciate what we have
and take a break from the crazy political ride.