(The adorable boy you see here in my dog, Mr. Bates. He is named after my favorite character from the BBC television show Downton Abbey.)
My dog will not forgive me
Though I asked him many times
With treats in my hands
Bacon in my pockets
I have pleaded,
Begged
And he
Sits silently,
Resigned.
“What must I do?”
I have pined
Looking for the clue
Some kind of cue
To begin my
Apology anew—
It does not come
Only a wag and
Stoic stares.
“Is this a staring contest?”
I have wondered
But I have yet
To speak the words—
I am afraid he
Will think me silly
Because contests
Are mostly born of
Human insecurity.
My dog will not forgive me
Though his water bowl is full
His leash is hot
With newly acquired sunshine
Gathered on the walk
We recently took,
An offering
My bribe to him,
“Please, let me off the hook.”
I now remind him of my faults
Repent and seek my peace
He sighs like a priest
Resting his chin on his hands
And wondering when
My tirade will find its end—
He sniffs
Licks the air
Then sighs into the floor.
“I guess I am a bore,”
I think
My shoulders fully slumped
I sink to sit before him, then
He jumps to his feet
Wiggles and leaps
Like a dancer with four left feet
“Finally,” he barks
Then rolls into my lap.
“But what about the times
I ignored you
forgot to adore you
when I stayed away too long
and scolded you for being wrong,
what about
my impatience,
when I chose not to be
gracious?”
He licks my hand
And lifts his paw,
“You humans don’t get it at all.”
Continuing, he reflects,
“We forgive right away
we never delay
because we remember
the value of living
and loving today.”
I feel quite embarrassed
I know he is right
I wasted time worrying
Mentally scurrying
Back to the past
Where all my faults sit
Like piles of vomit
I was willing to lick—
“You’re doing it again,” he winks,
“Just relax.”
—copyright Jill Szoo Wilson
April 14, 2018 at 3:00 pm
Jill–Thanks for your insightful (and personally timely) reminder how unwilling we humans are to forgive and forget while God’s lesser creatures do it so instinctively and without haste. Well done!
John R.
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