My favorite part of every morning
is when I crouch down next to my dog's bed.
I whisper good morning into his ear
and Watson presses the top of his head into my heart.
"Are you ready to get up with me today?"
I ask, already knowing his response.
He rolls onto his back and stretches
so gracefully that I understand
the word languid in a way
I never had before adopting him.
I rub his belly and he squiggles.
I snuggle him, feeling the soft warmth of his fur.
"Are you ready to get up with me today?"
I ask again.
Sometimes he rolls to one side for rubs
and then the other to balance things out.
Sometimes he sneezes a full-body sneeze that makes him shudder from nose to tail.
"Are you ready to get up with me today?"
I ask once more.
He flips to his stomach and stands,
pressing his head to my forehead so I know it's time.
"Ok! Let's go!"
Watson, impatient now to begin his day,
pushes the flat top of his head
to the back of my right knee,
as I stand and open the bedroom door.
Comments