I Wish I'd Written This

Freedom Ride

Leigh D C Spencer

They know, you know

When you slip that temporary leash on them

they vibrate

while you sign their release papers

The lap they sit on

in the getaway car

belongs to the new

absolute

love of their life

They know

a savior

when they see, lick, and smell one

Susie was a skeletal Chihuahua mix

two years old and e-listed

for being a stray and too thin

My son’s was the lap she sat on

and the pillow she slept on that first night

Home

wrapped around his sleeping head

Seven years later

she has her own staircase

to reach the top bunk

where my teenager 

HER teenager

sleeps

She hangs over the edge

protective gargoyle

Never doubt

all twelve healthy pounds of her

would face any threat, real or imagined

for him

Sarah was fifteen

same owners her whole life

They couldn’t afford to have her teeth cleaned

so they dropped her off to be put down

Spry, adorable, and surprisingly quiet

Jack Russells usually bark

but not when their vocal chords are cut

I guess that surgery was affordable

when she was a pup

Sarah had her head out the open window

worshipping the sun and wind on her smiling face

When we stopped at the park,

she nearly wrenched my arm out of the socket

tearing off to run in the grass, chase pigeons, 

and play with ALL the children

Apple was twelve, fat, and blind

She literally pranced to my car

proud and happy, past all the other dogs and kennels

She wedged herself between me and the steering wheel

smiling, clumsy, endlessly goofy

My lap and then my heart

claimed as hers

Before they know

about ample food and indulgent treats

about soft, warm beds

about pats and scratches and belly rubs

about people who will never leave them

scared, hurt, or alone

about HOME – a safe place to FINALLY 

share their divine, unconditional love

Before they know any of that,

they know their greatest joy 

starts

with that temporary leash

that welcoming, open door

that savior’s lap

of the freedom ride

Yes, another one for all you (other) soppy animal lovers out there. This could almost be a companion piece to Tanya Delys Mandorla's Red Collar, which I posted recently. When you finish mopping your eyes, you may ask why another so soon? I'll answer that with what Leigh posted on her facebook page a few days ago:

You GUYS!! Something truly and incredibly AWESOME happened this week! My dear, amazing friend Delaina hooked me up AGAIN with a SUPER-COOL writing opportunity.

One of her relatives is on the board and planning a gala event for the New Hampshire Humane Society. They had an idea to get original poetry about shelter dogs, have an artist make it look beautiful, and then have more artists - adoptable DOG artists - paint it with pawprints to turn it into gorgeous wall-hangings that people could bid on.

Delaina agreed to write a poem for this. THEN she recommended ME to do the same. I wrote and sent in a poem yesterday and THEY ARE GOING TO LET DOGS WITH PAINTED PAWS WALK ALL OVER IT AND USE IT FOR THE AUCTION!!

I am a million degrees beyond excited about this. I got to write something that will be used to raise money for shelter animals. Throw in my family and a messy cheeseburger and you've pretty much got EVERYTHING I love most in the world covered.

Isn't that a great use for poetry? The auction is not happening until June, but Leigh tells me she got so excited she couldn't wait to let everyone know. I love her excitement nearly as much as I love the poem, and I couldn't wait to share either.

(Yes, as many of you know, I am a crazy cat person, but I also like dogs – and in fact the dearest animal that ever came to be with me was a very large and, I insist, peerless dog.)

I featured Leigh in 'I Wish I'd Written This' once before. Click here if you'd like to remind yourselves. I'm stealing this photo from that post to use again here for obvious reasons.

Poems and photos used in ‘I Wish I’d Written This’ remain the property of the copyright holders (usually their authors).