RAT HEAVEN

in honor of Little Man (July 2005 – Dec. 2006)

my dog watched death come and
he barked – until I told him it was
not for him and not for me but my
rat who was struck with pneumonia from a
long drive south in a windy car – but the rat’s life was
chewy and fun, as all rat lives should be, it was
death that came slow and annoying, lasted long
like my tears for some hours, and it must have
looked hideous as my dog’s ears laid
flat and his teeth bared his muzzle scraped
the sky – not aware that all pets go
to heaven.

Ryn Gargulinski.12.12.06