Friday Afternoon With London 


He’s trying to finish some stuff up,

On a Friday afternoon,

Another day at the virtual office,

Reports and budgets and emails and so on,

And he’s having a lot of trouble focusing,

Because London has been struggling to walk,

All day long,

And London hasn’t eaten anything,

Which means she hasn’t taken any medicine,

Which explains why she’s really hurting,

He wants to focus,

On his London,

Knowing that she’s unwell,

Makes his heart hurt,

So he decides to log off for the day,

And then he sits down on the ground,

Next to London’s fluffy pink bed,

So that he can give her some pets.



Rice Crackers


He’s picking up some groceries,

At the co-op,

Mostly shopping for himself,

But he’s also stocking up,

On tamari sesame rice crackers,

He’s been having trouble getting London,

To eat,

Which is a big problem,

Because he’s mixing the pain medication,

Into her food,

Which is the way it has to be done,

And London has been gobbling up,

These rice crackers recently,

So he picks up six packs,

He just wants her to be okay.



First Meal of the Day


He’s back home with London,

Preparing another meal for her,

She’s hardly eaten today,

This time he’s giving her some tuna,

Which is a special treat,

And some of those rice crackers she likes,

London looks at him patiently,

As he prepares her food,

Then he puts her bowl on the ground,

He’s filled with hope and anxiety,

If London eats,

The pain medication can do its thing,

He watches as she examines,

The bowl’s contents,

And then she starts eating,

Quickly and voraciously,

In a couple of minutes,

She’s eaten everything,

Licking the bowl now,

He’s so happy for this small win,

A little after 4pm,

And his daughter’s had,

Her first meal of the day.


Taylor Dibbert is a widely published writer, journalist, and poet. He’s author of the Peace Corps memoir “Fiesta of Sunset,” and the forthcoming poetry collection “Home Again.”