It started with the squeaky hot dog and ended with the spawning salmon. A litany of loveworn stuffed animals took up residence on our floors, mapping out impulse checkout purchases, late night guilt-soaked indulgences and happy go lucky afternoon hallway sessions.
Each delivery was received with full t
(more)hrottle canine exuberance though not all were loved equally. Viewed from above, their positions on our wood floors painted a solar system of attachment. Closest to him, like his sun, warming his side was the spotted cow. Hidden under the sofa: the forgotten chicken that looked good once, but has seen better days now. Around the corner, tucked near the underplayed guitar, roundish, far away is Jupiter in the form of a ratty tennis ball.
At the pet store, the new ones are lined up, like shiny undiscovered stars he will see in his next incarnation.
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