Happy birthday Enzo. This is my ode to you today!
Ruler of the Home
Early morning, 5 a.m.
I cannot sleep
A headache rouses me from bed
My husband rolls over
asks what he can do
I tell him nothing
grab my fuzzy pink robe
and tumble down the stairs.
I open the crate
where the dog has been detained
to keep him from chewing
teenager leftovers
To entice him out, I reach in
scratch his curly white belly fur
Enzo opens one eye, then the next
His coffee colored eyes remind me
I too need caffeine
but first, sleep
I carelessly toss couch pillows to the floor
grab the sheepskin blanket
and sink into the sofa
Enzo comes to me
his tags jingling in the dark
He leaps onto my lap
then settles his nose near mine
as if to chase away the demons
hammering my head.
I touch his fur,
feeling the rush of my blood
settle into a rhythm
in sync with my breath
Somewhere in my mind
I have fallen fast asleep
dreaming of ski slopes
and friends I have not called.
My son once called Enzo “a peacemaker”
Family members reach for him
before they extend a hug to me
and I don’t blame them
His name means home ruler yet
he has not chased away my headache
nor protected me at all odds
but he has created a harmony I never knew
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