wake up, in a mood
feeling like dog ****
after a night of restlessness
stumble out of bed,
to the bathroom
to relieve yourself,
the dog comes up
with his “good morning” stretch
and a gentle bump from his muzzle

then its over to the kitchen
for a glass of water, or OJ,
whatever is more convenient
then to the wood stove

re-start the fire from the
embers of yesterday
realising there isn’t
enough wood and then
have to go to the shed

the raccoon that has made
the shed his home
skulks near the back
trying not to be seen
by the flashlight
or the over excited dog
who knows it’s there

fill the bag with wood
picking pieces that will
keep the fire going all day
some smaller lighter fir
mixed with heavier arbutus
haul it back inside
dog ever at heels

crumple up pieces of the
free newspaper
arrange embers, fresh wood
and paper to allow quick re-lighting
leave door open a quarter inch
to allow adequate airflow

head to office in basement
check email
not that anything of use ever arrives
check news
not that anything of relevance
happened overnight
head back upstairs to
check on fire
dog ever at heels

close wood stove door
head back downstairs
put on shoes, coat, hat
grab leashes
take dogs on morning walk

return,
make breakfast
eat while making lunch
usually tempeh with steamed veg,
or tofu with rice/noodles
or something similar
pack lunch
get fresh underwear, socks
and shirt for work
head to basement bathroom
shower

think of how easy life is
when there is no one around
to complicate it
life alone would be ideal
you get things done
on time
there’s no interruptions
no one else to consider
just you and the tasks at hand

get dressed
still thinking of how
well suited you are to life alone
walk into bedroom
dog ever at heel

see her sleeping
hear the silence punctuated
only by her slow steady breathing
realise that without her
you would be lost
nothing

kiss her cheek
tell her you love her

trudge out into the world