repressed memory & dog slobber

for her the shrink did nothing
for her the priest even less
for her all the friends in the world
could not find her when she hid in her
deepest, darkest place---
buried down beneath the first floor in the
basement where all the past would flood in,
yes, she might have only been doing her
laundry,
but her laundry was doing so much more to her---
and the machine did oscillate
and the dust & mildew brought out the horrors
just a little more---
wanting for another human to help
wanting for someone to come & say that it will be ok,
but it doesn’t always work out that way.

and then the world stopped
when from beside her the sweet pup’s paw reached up
volunteering, placing it on her shoulder when she was
crouching.

finishing up stuffing the remainder of her clothes in the
machine,
she hugs the dog
in realization that she will get on
by any means possible
and the slobber of her pet is one more thing
that she might have overlooked,
had she not spent this time in
deep introspection---
and the bond between her growing strength &
the unknowing bliss of such an animal
is what brings a smile,
as she climbs back up the stairs to get him a
treat.