OTIS
The vet opens our dog’s mouth
& shows us the gray mass on his palate,
the tumor that’s grown so big
his breath whistles through one nostril.
Our options- $6000 for radiation
or do nothing. Goddamn anyone
who denies him a soul. My wife squats
beside him on the linoleum floor,
crooning as he whistles into her palm.
A snippet of a story that tells about the dog, it's owner and the state of veterinary medicine....more interested in money than the animals...too many. The emotion comes out in the line 'Goddam anyone who denies him a soul.' The compressed writing is like a bomb. Makes me sad.
this is touching, jefferson. and i relate to the moment your hear from a vet what a needed procedure will cost. -glen
it's a very tough decision when a furbaby has to have a very expensive operation..Look into Sadie's Fund which helps low income pet parents with their bills..your wife's sadness as she tries to comfort the dog is priceless..
Sad, but never too maudlin. Just matter of fact, which contrasts with the subject matter, and that contrast is what makes for good poetry. What's interesting is we're not sure what they did (at least I'm not) , and that uncertainty(or uneasiness) is a poet at work.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Read and like it. It's a nice poem.