Me & Max

  Probably like most kids in small towns I had my share or puppies that turned into dogs. Most of them were “mutt dogs” but I enjoyed all of them.

  I did not get my favorite dog until I was “much older” and maybe that is why we bonded so well together. We both grew older together. He was not supposed to be a house dog. After all he weighed about 100 lbs. stood about two feet tall. However he did turn into a house dog, even over the objections of my darling wife. In fact after we had him for a while I noticed she did not mind him laying on her feet in the winter to keep them warm. He did the same with me so I guess we could not call him a lap-dog but with a little stretch of the imagination we could call him a “foot dog.”

  One day as he and I were out in the yard early in the morning I penned this little memory of him.

                       ME and MAX

We sat on the lawn under a bright blue sky

That early Fall morning, just Max and I.

It was calm and serene, the trees perfectly still.

Not a leaf did flutter in the yard, or on hill.

The neighbors still asleep in their beds calm and quiet.

But Max twitched his nose, as if to say, “I don’t buy it.”

That big old Dalmatian on his leash nice and quiet

So he would not run off scared from some imagined fright.

He spied the children next door picking flowers I see

And gave out a “bark”, saying please leave them be.

They knew him by name, and called “Max, it’s OK

We were just picking a few, just to brighten our day.

The sun topped the mountain, Olympus its name

And the rays started coming to warm us again.

I sat in my chair and “Max” lay on the grass

And I am sure he was thinking, this heat would soon pass.

No traffic did travel the streets, this time of day.

There were but few children, in the yards out to play.

No horns were out honking, no sirens did scream.

Max and I were alone, or at least it did seem.

Then like all good things, they must come to an end.

Two cars traveled past, our contentment to end.

One blasting out noise over the radio waves

To ruin our serenity, they should be banished to caves.

Max just lay in the grass, with the cool on his belly,

Then all at once some neighbor turned on his “Telly”.

The noise broke the sound barrier, or at least so or seemed

And Max jumped up thinking, ”could this have been dreamed?”

Then two dogs ran the street and Max leash pulled up tight

And when they looked and saw Max it gave them a fright.

They ran that much faster, clear on down the street.

But Max just said “wroof” with his nose by his feet.

Things are now moving about, and our peacefulness gone,

So I pick up my chair and set it off of the lawn,

Take Max to the back yard, unsnap his leash and he goes,

Into his familiar house, just sniffing his nose.

Thoughts on an early Sunday morning

12 September 1999

By W.R. Baldwin (& Max)