Haiku 2023–195

it would make his day

I should make it part of mine

walking man’s best friend

— —

Rather than being reflective, today’s haiku offering is aspirational at best, but is really more of a self-indictment.

Ozzy, our pitbull, has done the impossible — he’s actually made me love him. I’m not a dog person, never have been, but it’s hard to ignore the affections of someone who is unflinchingly loyal and fiercely protective. The only thing he really requires of me is a bit of food and water and a trip outside when nature calls. What he would really like is a W-A-L-K (shhh, don’t say it or he will get overly excited).

Yes, Ozzy wants nothing more than to be put on a leash for a stroll down the street. If he thinks that there’s any possibility that will happen, he is right there waiting. I usually sit on the bed to put my shoes on and it makes a bit of noise. If he’s anywhere near our bedroom, he will walk in, turn around in front of me, and stare back out the door with clear intent. More often than not, I tell him ‘no’ or offer to put him outside on his lead instead. Tne question I have is this…

…why?

Why can’t I bring myself to do this for just five minutes? It calms him down for the rest of the day. It gets me out and moving. It generally represents a win/win proposition. At the end of the day, I’m forced to admit that I’m lazy and am not as loyal to him as he is to me. I really should walk him at least once a day, but there are times when I just can’t bring myself to do it and that’s just wrong. This haiku attempts to capture those feelings.