Halfway up the hill, suddenly sensed I was alone

For dog had gotten hung up at someone else's home

Stuck at bottom of hill looking pitifully back at me

As I kept calling, she'd not budge, for she wasn't free



Knowing full well she was in trouble, but not seeing why

I started back down the hill, focusing on whatever ties

Were keeping her from coming and joining me at crest

And as I got closer I finally saw exactly what kind of mess



She'd managed to get herself into - a sticky predicament showed

A rose thorn had gotten caught up in her overly shaggy long coat

And had attached itself from her head all the way down her side

Wrapping itself around legs and tail - caught up along her hide



So entwined was it in coat and so embedded all along body

It was impossible for her to move for the barbs would probably

Get further stuck in her head, shoulders, legs, tail and behind

Hurting her so much, and she might even have become blind



For attempts to pluck the thorn out of her side, legs and tail

Had just caused barbs to become further embedded to scale

And some of those thorns had gotten very close to her eyes

If she'd struggled with them anymore - perhaps a surprise



I'm so glad she stopped moving and had just looked uphill at me

For now she knows how vulnerable she is to nature's ticks and fleas

And all of the other little problems which seem to come her way

Like this one, which could have wound her up in a bigger muddle today



- Tristram



Christopher W. Thomas

8:57am Friday 2/20/98