A TIRED OLD DOG

AN OLDER, TIRED-LOOKING DOG

WANDERED INTO MY YARD;

I COULD TELL FROM HIS COLLAR

AND WELL-FED BELLY

THAT HE HAD A HOME AND

WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. 

HE CALMLY CAME OVER TO ME,

I GAVE HIM A FEW PATS ON HIS HEAD;

HE THEN FOLLOWED ME INTO MY HOUSE,

SLOWLY WALKED DOWN THE HALL,

CURLED UP IN THE CORNER

AND FELL ASLEEP. 

AN HOUR LATER,

HE WENT TO THE DOOR

AND I LET HIM OUT. 

THE NEXT DAY HE WAS BACK,

GREETED ME IN MY YARD,

WALKED INSIDE AND RESUMED

HIS SPOT IN THE HALL

AND AGAIN SLEPT

FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.

THIS CONTINUED OFF AND ON

FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. 

CURIOUS I PINNED A NOTE TO HIS COLLAR:

'I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT

WHO THE OWNER OF THIS WONDERFUL

SWEET DOG IS AND ASK IF YOU

ARE AWARE THAT ALMOST

EVERY AFTERNOON YOUR DOG

COMES TO MY HOUSE FOR A NAP.' 

THE NEXT DAY

HE ARRIVED FOR HIS NAP,

WITH A DIFFERENT NOTE

PINNED TO HIS COLLAR:

'HE LIVES IN A HOME WITH 6 CHILDREN,

2 UNDER THE AGE OF 3

HE'S TRYING TO CATCH UP

ON HIS SLEEP.

CAN I COME WITH HIM TOMORROW?'