God, Make Me as Blind as My Dog

Fuzzball hasn’t gone to Dog Heaven yet

But he’s not far away

Can hardly see

Can hardly hear

And the good food I put him on

Which he ravenously enjoys

Hasn’t made him one ounce thinner

I suppose that’s my fault

Anyway, to overcome the effects

Of the good food

We go for walks

Like we did long ago

Now, however

I have to watch him very closely

The delicious aroma of a dumpster

Or a juicy pile of squirrel scat

Can distract him from following me

If I’m engrossed in my own sightseeing

Or otherwise not paying attention

Distance comes between us

Like a thing

If I lose sight of him

I have to backtrack until I find him

It’s pointless to call him

Since he can’t hear me

Eventually I’ll spot him

Still engrossed in his pursuit

Or…looking for me

If I stand still

He can’t see me

He can only see me when I move

But he can smell me

He knows I’m somewhere close

Sometimes

I’ll just watch him for a moment

He’ll walk about, stop

Sniff the air and look around

His ears perked up

Tail high

Everything on full alert

The longer I wait to reveal myself

The more anxious he becomes

The quicker he walks

The farther he goes

In a growing frantic to find me

I can almost hear him crying out

“Daddy, where are you?!”

Sooner than later

I’ll go scoop him up

And I can feel him relax in my arms

Dear God

Make me as blind as my dog

So I can’t move without you

So I feel lost when I can’t see you

So I am completely dependent on you

I know in my heart

That is the safest place I could ever be