I woke up in a panic
realizing I hadn’t walked the dog
all evening.

He hadn’t made a yap.
I’d forgotten all about him.
He must have gotten lost
among all my other crap.

Poor baby!
So patient…
He never made his needs known.
He could stay quiet under the worst of circumstances.
Why was I such a bad owner?

All this rushed through my head
in bed
in instants
as I anticipated the mess I would find
because I left my dog
inside too long
before I recalled
I don’t have a dog!

I’d just been dog sitting last week,
and gotten used to the routine.

I settled down again
then woke up in a panic.
Why don’t I have a dog?