With love from Willie

Ruth Varner

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Twelve winters have passed, and now there are things I’d like to say.

Thanks for building me a cozy house filled with straw when the nights grow cold, for a shady pen to run in, to chase squirrels, and a patch of sunlight for my morning nap. Thanks for feeding me every day and taking time to brush me.

Thanks for being patient with me when I can’t run fast any more. I’m grateful when you find me a quiet spot during football games, away from loud music and the feet of running children. I’m really scared of fireworks and thunder but I’m better if you are near. Thanks for that extra snack or a lick off your empty plate. I try to sit quietly until you’re ready to share.

Please don’t get mad when I bark. It means I’m happy to see you when you bring a biscuit. I try to warn you when animals or people appear who don’t belong here. I’m excited when you take time to play with me.

You already know my favorites:  a quiet nap on the hardwood floor or my spot on the rug. I like to sleep under your desk while you’re working. Sometimes I rest my head on your foot so you know I’m here. A soft pat on my head or a scratch on my stomach lets me know you love me. Short runs to chase the Frisbee make me feel young again. A soft towel to dry the rain makes me feel like one of the family. If you hear me sigh, you know I’m happy.

I recognize each shoe that passes my head as I lay on the carpet.

When I tip my head to one side I’m listening to you. I wish I knew how to speak.  Maybe I’ll be a person in my next life. We could have long talks about sunshine and starlight, about good food when we’re hungry and people who are kind. You could tell me what you do all day at that desk and who all those people are in the pictures on the wall. We could talk about the pup, Marcus, and why he’s allowed on the couch when I never was. There are thoughts to share about the good life and what to accept that we cannot change.

I watch you pack clothes in a bag, and my head sinks to the floor.  You’re leaving again. You carry the bag to the car. You’re my best friend. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.

Love, Willie

Ruth Varner won first place in an amateur writing competition for Lake Murray Magazine in 2007.  The award encouraged her focus on writing short stories and poems which have been published online, in newspapers and recently included in The Art of Medicine in Metaphors and A Sense of the Midlands.  Her nonfiction aims to preserve and share the best in everyday experiences.

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