“The unexamined life is not worth living” -Socrates
my schnauzer would disagree
she lives without complicated tenses
shakes them off
like water on her body after an unwelcomed bath
no concern of tomorrow
no memory of disappointment
over yesterday’s squirrel that got away
when she’s joyful
the whole world is a belly scratch
and when she’s sad
I’ve seen her go from sad to joy
as quick as the shake of a bag of treats
she has a happy wag
stubby little tail
just wiggles and wiggles
with gleeful anticipation
something good
is about to happen
maybe love or a dog cookie
who knows, but something good
and when it arrives
the tail wag slows
and her little ears twist
she laps up the present delight
with abandon
as if she were licking an ice cream sky
I should be more like my dog
and less like Socrates
shake off the tenses
greet the morning
with a happy wag
believing that something
good is about to happen
like love, or a cookie
-Stan A. Baldwin-