Big ol’ Tank nearly breaks his leg bounding down the deck steps
to get a squirrel on the back yard fence. Tank & Ceili end up
smelly & dirty, nauseating the pregnant woman stuck inside
while Navy husband is out to sea. She’s trying to manage
the family pets: Tank, an arthritic uncle to her two children,
& overgrown pup Ceili, a Shepherd/Retriever mix.
Once the dogs are inside, the grandparents begin to stroke
Tank’s abundant black hairs that cluster amid metal tines
of a sturdy brush, & he is putty in their hands. Blond Ceili
must be put outside. She can’t stand to watch all this attention,
even if her turn’s coming. She bites Tank’s snout.
The big ol’ Lab’s not much for snarling back anymore.
Soon Ceili’s out to whine & paw dirt streaks on the sliding glass.
More brushing ecstasy for Tank. Collect clumps of dust bunny hair.
Then wash. There’s no way to get this heavy dog to the groomer.
Grandma holds up Mud Bay’s waterless shampoo.
Tank stands waiting. Grandma sprays sides, shoulders,
flanks, while Grandpa massages liquid into lather.
No telling what they’re scrubbing off. Beach towel dry
& the 5-year-old girl in blue & green aims hair dryer at damp fur.
Now it’s Ceili’s turn. She only nips a little
when she figures out the drill & gnaws a chew toy.
Neck, back, tail scrub—she lies down, legs up for more of heaven.
Finished. Now towel dry & hold still for the hair dryer.
The pregnant mother, in memory’s video clip, is amazed
her parents did this in her dining room.
Met Life Stadium over Fox TV. It’s as if this Bremerton
living room holds Russell Wilson & Peyton Manning,
primed with years of pent-up vigor before the Super Bowl.
***
Mary Ellen Talley’s poems have appeared in many journals including Louisville Review, Deep Wild, and Trampoline as well as in multiple anthologies. Her chapbooks are: “Postcards from the Lilac City” from Finishing Line Press, “Taking Leave” from Kelsay Books, and “Infusion” online at Red Wolf Journal. She resides in Seattle, WA and worked for many years as a school-based speech/language pathologist (SLP.) Her website is www.maryellentalley.com.
