Hurricane Henry Bounces Death

Henry entered the house without fear.

Well, maybe a little bit of fear, because he was in fact

only 1 and ¾ years old and had never met a dog before.

Our Minnie greeted him with unbounded joy and much

leaping about. But that was soon settled.

Quickly after that, Henry discovered the pillows on our

high, high king-sized bed that he could barely see the

top of. He lifted his arms and commanded “UP!”

So

I lifted him UP and tossed him into the pillows

where he laughed and screamed with delight.

“AGAIN!”

 I hefted that 30 some odd pounds of bouncing boy

again…

     and again…

          and many more times “AGAIN!”

until we were sweaty and gasping

and our bellies ached with laughing.

“ALL DONE!” Henry declared.

         Just like that.

He wiggled to the edge of the bed,

slid feet-first off the high, high edge,

landed with a thump and blew off

to discover other treasures in the house.

Never knowing how dark and lonely

        that bed had been since you died there.

Never feeling the fight for those last long breaths.

Never hearing the quiet, quiet in the house.

Henry came. He saw. He BOUNCED.

And the darkness

        fled.