Marking Time

The couch is a lousy place to sleep.

All week the Energizer Bunny and Yoga Pup
have been at my bedroom door way too early
in the morning wanting me to get up and play.
Their internal alarm clock is set between 4:30 and 6:00 AM.

I've been the only one home all week
and they keep tabs on people like an accountant
keeping track of every penny spent.
It's so obvious that I am neither of their masters
and by their behaviour they're letting me know
they miss dearest one and youngest son.

Normally they sleep in youngest son's room
but he's been out of town all week.
And if I put them in his room and close the door
they'd scratch the hell out of it and pee on all his things.

When I've been gone at work Yoga Pup has taken to marking
the furniture, the shoes, the container that holds his food and more.
There have been times this week
when the most endearing moniker
I can think of to call them
has been The Little Fuckers.

I went and bought pee pads
(did you know there was such a thing?)
for Yoga Pup and he thought they were a new toy.
He loves to chew plastic.

So last night I decided to sleep on the couch
in hopes that they'd let me sleep longer
and refrain from peeing on anything in the night.
Yoga Pup was beside himself with joy
when I returned to the couch every time I got up to
go to the bathroom in the night.
He would follow me down the hallway
and leap for joy (I kid you not)
when I was done and made a left turn to the livingroom
instead of an abrupt right turn to my bedroom.
You'd have thought he'd won the lottery.

I woke at 7 AM from a bad dream
and both dogs were still sleeping.
Energizer Bunny on the back of the couch
and Yoga Pup at my feet.
It's amazing what a little bit of extra sleep
can do for a person.