Quick…Sleep!

You got 3 hours. Quick…sleep!  Slide into the exquisite unconscious. Dream; float somewhere far away. Feel the warmth of the duvet; the caress of the soft pillow. Quick…sleep! For the barking will come soon. The cold wet of the backyard awaits. Soft paws on clear ice. Orange and red maple leaves encased below. Tongue, pink; shocking against black fur, laps and laps and laps. Hard claws, dig and dig and dig. Some evenings you chant: Pee doggy pee! Pee doggy pee! You set the words free in the 2am stillness – hoping they will land upon soft floppy ears and he will. But other times, like tonight, you keep these words deep down inside; afraid they will jinx this whole venture if you utter them out loud. And then he scampers into the garden. Pees on the azaela stalks jutting through the snow; the ones he also likes to eat. Good doggy! Good doggy! Back inside you place him in his create; shut the door. Head downstairs to the couch; set the alarm. You got 3 hours. Quick…sleep!