While I’m away,
Mary and Louise have come to stay
with Poki and Diego.

Louise, the new furry family
member, bounced into Mary’s
life as she traveled in Mexico,

which meant that Louise,
like many immigrants, understood
more Spanish than English.

Lulu, ven aqui! Mary called
in my back yard the day she
introduced us. And curly-

haired Louise did, indeed,
come trotting over, such
a calm, obedient girl.

When they arrived for
a fortnight of house and
cat care last month,

I was a bit nervous about
how Diego and Poki, unused
to dogs, might feel about

Louise. But Mary sent
photos of them all in
the kitchen, Louise with

rear legs splayed to cool
her tummy, Poki nearby
looking more tolerant

than she often is of Diego.
And today Mary texted
photos of Louise and Poki —

“unsuspecting besties 💜” —
a dogleg poised next to
an elderly kitty leg, and

sitting on the driveway,
contemplating something
amid the greenery,

proving again that you are
never too old or too young
to make a new best friend,

one who might help you
learn a new language, or
simply to sit with you

in contented,
companionable
silence.