Some days we have a lot of it—
the pre-9 a.m. walk for me with Deb
by the river, a good 3 1/2 miler,

later a haircut with Susan,
then a massage with Kat,
and later still, a hearing aid
appointment for the beloved.

And in between all that,
a pedicure for Maxi, followed by
a squirt of flea medication
from dear Chris, the vet tech,

who comes to the house
and gently wrangles this
still-learning-to-be-held boycat
into her lap for a gentle snip snip
of the toenails,

so that all of us emerge, tidier,
shorn, tuned up and massaged,
downright pampered, as all of us
marvelous beasts should be.