When a groomer says to you bring the dog in at eight sharp

And you do so faithfully so won't have to pick her up in dark

Then you call as directed just before five in the afternoon

To enquire upon progress in order to schedule the room



To get her either before or after shopping or preparing to dine

Then she says eight should be fine and so you give her till nine

And then turn up that whole hour after the expected due time

Only to find the dog only just then beginning to look oh, so fine



Realizing then she'll never stay still whilst you wait in her sight

So you go back out to car to sit quietly in the pitch black of night

Considering your options - you then decide to go and shop awhile

Putting apples, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, dried fruit in pile



On top of Poland Spring water in two gallon containers in boxes

(A necessity for a neighbor above has no consideration and is toxic)

Along with dozens of cans of Pedigree supposedly pure and tasty

Some of which (you find out later) are obviously packed too hastily



Then rush back to groomer's thinking now she'll be waiting for you

Only to find her still working on the dog - and that makes you blue

And so you sit and fume in the dark car sorting thru your junk mail

All the while vowing you'll never again do this thing so very pale



And then, half an hour later the lady comes out of the door yelling

"She's ready!" and so you drop all the mail and rush in there telling

The groomer nasty things which you drop to a mutter under breath

As you gaze astonished at the pet who shares life with you till death



For, all of a sudden, you see just the most beautiful dog in the world

All clean and preened and looking lovingly back at you without curls

Just soft shaggy hairs around her eyes and snout and fully blown legs

And rest all trimmed tight to body so she looks a vision of beauty pegged 



You soon forget the anger and fury you've built up deep inside you

For the vision of loveliness takes away just about all of the blue

And you hug her so tightly as you don her collars and her leash

For the past fourteen hours without her now are fully pleased ...



- Tristram



Christopher W. Thomas

9:32am Wed. March 25th, 1998