Dog Days

Paw prints on my desk?

Nose prints on the window?

What did they do while I was at work?

I know I cleaned up more puddles than any person should.
I know my supplies were dragged outside more than once.

I know they must have gotten a shock or two from gnarled plugs.

I know they tore towels down from their rungs in the kitchen.

I know they tore the covers right off of my books.

I know they puddled on most of that too.

So maybe this is their dream come true.

They’ve stopped pacing since I placed the blankets near my feet.

They don’t bark in the middle of a video conference. (At least not yet.)

They sleep and play when we come up for air.

They walk the property and dig in the dirt.

And when they’re done, no one leaves.

Cars don’t pull out of the driveway.

The ritual for that is now five days gone.

A dog day long before summer.