2:50 a.m.
I’m getting to bed at a decent hour for once
(well, decent for me).
I let out the dogs.
One’s back in a minute, tail wagging,
as he heads to his bowl for a quick snack.
No sign of dog two.
I whistle.
I call.
Were I bi-pedal, I would put on boots
go in the back yard and bring him in,
but I’m mono-pedal and the office chair
isn’t up for a snowy back yard
never mind the slope I’d never get up.
So I’m waiting.
and waiting
and waiting.
This dog does this a lot
at 3 a.m.
Never at 1 a.m.
or 4 a.m.
What’s that about?
At 3:30, I shut out all the lights
and decide he can sleep on the porch.
until hubby get’s up at 5:00.
Then I see a ghostly shape on the other side of the glass door.
Oh, hello. You’re back already? Grrr.
I steer him down the hall, and he hops up on my bed
with wet, dirty feet. I growl, and smack his butt.
I pick up dog one, who has dry feet, is about to die,
and pees promptly when I put him out and then returns to the door.
In the dark, dog two lies on the dog pillow and I hear cats yowling.
In my bedroom.
In his belly.
Mewling, and yowling, and squeaking, and meowing.
He shifts uncomfortably.
His stomach gurgles and growls.
He can have breakfast later.
I’m going to sleep with the good dog
at my feet.
.
.
(No. He didn’t really eat cats, despite what it sounded like).
Shawn L. Bird 
Hmmmm… I love this decent hour…
Hey don’t be a nightcrawler….
I’ve been going to bed at 5, 6, 7, or 8 a.m. the last little while, and have had several sleeps lasting 12-15 hours. Being housebound with this broken ankle is causing interesting sleep cycle variations!
Hey, how are u feeling now? The ankle I mean?
I’m on 2 feet these days, and relearning to walk, (as per https://shawnbird.com/2015/03/05/poem-limping/ ), but it’s a slow process.
You will be alright soon.. Thumbs-up dear
Wow!! Thank goodness. My cats Sylvester and Weezer were getting a little creeped out!! LOL!! I don’t have to let my cats out but they often decide to do the “Kitty Olympics” in the wee hours of the morning usually on a work night when I must get up early the next day! Oh for the Love of our pets!!
Hubby is waiting for them to expire. He’s looking forward to pet freedom. We’ll be down to one soon enough. 😦
That’s a great story. Ah, dogs.
Prescient dog knew you were about to TRY and sleep.
My friend noticed a raccoon coming out of my yard early this morning.
Perhaps OJ is cross-species courting? Pointless, as he lacks testicles, but whatever.
Oh dogs 🙂 You growl at them, you hug them.
I’ve really enjoyed this one.
If you’re not happy to see them when they finally show up they’d never come, so you have to be joyful. 😉
🙂
Your poem reminded me of a little pup called Hannah that we had when I was still staying with my parents. I’m digging up the short stories I wrote about her then and sharing them on my blog. I wanted to say thanks for the inspiration 🙂
You’re welcome.