My dog is my favorite person

He’s got my back when I’m hurtin’

We ventured to the beach this morning

On the verge of summer adjourning

It was so windy and the waves were choppy

My pup’s coat was floppy

But the sea is what we went for

I plopped open my wetsuit

Climbed in

I didn’t care about lookin’ cute

Skin tight neoprene

On the ritzy shoreline, trying not to make a scene

I looked around, the only person looking at me – was my pup

And oh yeah, a kind lady offering a hand

The pleasant stranger zipped me up

Me and Billy ran for the waves

They were big today

He was excited to see me swim

Wherever I stroked, he would scootch in

I let that salt water rinse my sinuses

Comfort and indoors are minuses

We both bobbed in the waves and sniffed the air

The waves were over our heads but neither of us cared

My pup paddled into my arms and I held him in the sea

My best friend, just like when he was a puppy

A seahawk spread his wings overhead

His underwings and belly were a mosaic of white and brown

I watched as he dove down

He caught his breakfast

He didn’t mind the mist

Somewhere in the water we lost the tennis ball

I told Billy it wasn’t his fault

As we swam about

Between the waves I was starting to doubt we’d find it

But then I was pleasantly reminded of some good in humans

Maybe the whole thing’s not ruined

Another swimmer in a wetsuit came at me

Holding a tennis ball

She yelled out, “Does this belong to y’all?”

She threw it our way

Then something popped out of the water – it was gray

A silver lab!

The swimmer with him was the lady who’d zipped up my suit

We talked and swam with the pups

We floated along without any roots

The salt kept us afloat

The experience renewed my hope

For friendship and healing