July 1
THE POODLE
Those pointed toes, slender legs carry her across my
outstretched mid. What a blessing to be
sober long enough to have never done any unseemly or frightful thing which
might have caused apprehension in this firefly of a dog. I read until she lays her neck over my mouth
for her kisses and ear rubs. She is the
center of the universe and I needn’t compete.
I am content to serve as resting place and nursemaid. I no longer look to be everyone’s pet. I can pamper and indulge this little
one. She has the whole stage to
herself. I can be her faithful audience
having given up my farce.
Carry a picture of
you in your wallet.
*
Trouble with Geometry
You are not allowed to get into trouble on purpose,
that’s the rule and if you do
you will get no sympathy that’s the corollary.
Life is too hard to go looking for trouble.
Running toward danger,
whining about self-inflicted pain.
The unspoken law of risk taking
is that failure is dealt with in silence.
Writhing on the ground
after sticking your head in a hornet’s nest,
leaves me and the world I know
to be speechless in your presence.
I know you desire consolation from me.
All I know to say is that your actions
are incongruent with your life.
You are reading selections from Sober on the Way to Sane
and More Lines From My Life by Sherrie Theriault
