January 30-31, 2020

My Poor Little Dog

Rufus likes his routine

and he lives by it joyfully

but tonight it broke

He'd been sleeping all evening

he was so desperately tired

he just wanted to go to bed

But before he goes to bed

he’s got to bound upstairs

But before he does that

he’s got to run outside

But before he does that

he's got to perimeter check the room

But before he does that

he's got to drink his water

But before he does that

he's got to eat his food

But before he does that

he's got to hear me ask

"Rufus! Do you want to go to bed?"

Which I did, as I always do

But since he'd already eaten

before

he'd no idea what to do

next

He just stood by his food dish

and looked up at me in confusion

As if to say "What do I do now, Pete?"

“The routine broke and now I’m stuck.”

My poor little pup

needing reassurance that a routine could break

and not also break the world

on occasion