A storoem (story poem) about walking the dog and strange things happen. |
My loyal, trusty Corgi Rusty and I are out walking like we have done many hundreds of times together – late, with no people, no car around to disturb our communing, without a word said. The night is calm and clear, with just the merest hint of fall contained in the mid-night air – ah, perfection. We have ambled to the end of our block, contentment filling me. Turning toward home, a sight causes hesitation. Some ten houses away, where the street curves, just past where a side street Y’s, I see a large dog. He’s huge, even at this distance. Rusty sees him, begins to walk fast. “Sit! Stay!” Thankfully, he’s obedient. I’m hard to confuse, but what I see next, my mind simply refuses to compute. As he stands in profile under the streetlight, that dog is not a dog but … a full-grown, male lion! I am rendered mute, frozen with fear. Adrenalin pumping, sweat flowing, his presence catapults me into panic. Can this be true? How can there be a real lion loose in Shreveport? Maybe he won’t see us down here. But he turns toward us. Wonder if he eats Man? We should run! No, think. You can’t outrun a lion. Could be he is tame, scared of Man. Besides, Rusty will try to protect me. I could leave Rusty sitting ‘on Stay’ and try to escape! Where could I go? All doors are locked. How well do lions climb a tree? Stop it! I could never abandon poor Rusty to a lion. I simply care about him too much to do that. The lion begins walking toward us. Better decide what to do quick! Rusty IS only a dog after all. No, no, I will not leave him. I believe love and loyalty truly must be honored. The lion has broken into a lope, set on our downfall. Rusty is getting nervous, growling, standing, breaking my command. “Stay!” Maybe, when he barks and attacks, if I make a big fuss, shouting, flapping my arms, we can deter the lion with our stand. He picks up speed. He’s getting close. “Rusty, it’s him versus us!” Just then Rusty takes off running faster than I have ever seen, out of sight the other way! The lion leaps … a blow to my gut – “Harry, wake up! You’re thrashing around in your sleep. I mean it. Roll over.” “Ok … but remind me to kick Rusty’s disloyal butt.” Please check out my ten books: http://www.amazon.com/Jr.-Harry-E.-Gilleland/e/B004SVLY02/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 |