Tuesday Night Fright

Pictured Poem created by Tremaine L. Loadholt

the dog is acting weird
I worked until a later
time than normal, and since
the end of the shift, I’ve been
trying to figure out this
different behavior.

I’ve cleaned her ears, rubbed her
belly, gave her kisses & crushed ice,
and she’s still being . . . weird.

every other day, something new
is happening. a senior dog
and her aging status is
frightening me.

it’s only Tuesday.
there’s still the rest of
this week to get through.
will we make it?

aging in the year of dying

Pictured Poem created by Tremaine L. Loadholt

aging in the year of dying

the dog is going blind
to her, as I fade into the
darkness of our hallway, I’m
a blot–an image she isn’t
sure is me

she’s smart–she waits
in the living room where light
lingers and only moves
when she sees me re-emerge
from the belly of
our home

I step back into her view
with a smile on my face
and greet her as If I
haven’t seen her before

I know what it feels like
to see something clearly
again