Lisa Heyda

Bailey

Christmas finally comes.
I don’t know what to expect
Until I see her running over to us,
like Santa’s newest elf,
wearing a hat and red sweater
her fur blending in,
and ears flopping in front
of her tiny wrinkly, face.
The first thing I hear is
“Oh Jesus!”
From my younger brother trailing behind me
because of what he sees standing there.
Her collar says “Bailey”
so that’s what we call her.
We are too happy to open our other presents.
They sit patiently under the tree, waiting
while we play with our favorite one.
Everyone fights to hold her
while she sleeps in their arms,
the only thing she can do.
 

Now she barely does,
Always biting everyone’s feet.
And big enough to jump on the couch.
There’s no safe place for us.
She escapes through open doors,
making us run out in the cold.
I don’t think I could ever go back
to the days without her.




[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2011 EDITION]

Copyright © 2002-2010 Student Publishing Program (SPP). Poetry and prose © 2002-2010 by individual authors. Reprinted with permission.