There’s a lot to be learned from canines 

Those furry creatures have always captivated my heart and mind 

I watched my neighbor from his kitchen window 

My dog always likes to walk by his house 

So at night on our walk, by the little brick building we would go 

The man didn’t believe in blinds or shades

And when walking the neighborhood at night, I couldn’t keep my eyes away 

I think he was a chef 

My dog would sit and take in the smells

From outside we watched the man eat till there was nothing left 

He had fixed a bowl of noodles and some vegetables 

He even snuck an edible 

I watched him each night, always out of his sight 

He never grilled a burger or a chicken breast 

No cans of tuna or salmon were in his chest 

I never saw eggs 

No milk with his chocolate or croissant 

I thought, surely, the man lived in want 

He often dropped things 

Once he lit the kitchen on fire 

His face was sallow

His cheekbones sharp

He once sliced an orange on one of them

The old man would mope about the kitchen grumblin’ 

Over the weeks and months the man withered 

It seemed like even his own dog quivered 

And one night en route to that man’s house, my dog took an unusual turn

He raced off to the river and attacked a bird

He dipped his snout in the water and came up with a fish 

Then my pup led the way to that man’s house 

Upon arrival, my dog pulled something out – out of my own pocket 

Steak strips from the night before 

As well as a trail of jerky strips 

I couldn’t stop it 

My pup scratched on that man’s back door 

No one came, no light turned on 

Through the window I peeked and saw that he and his pup were on the floor

They were not responsive so we pried the door open

My pup waved the bird and the fish in front of the dogs snout

And the steak strips I took out 

I shook the man and he moved

My dog knew what to do – he put the steak in the man’s mouth with his paw

The dog bit into the fish and chicken

There was suddenly life in both their jaws

We watched them eat

And a minute later they rose up to their feet 

The man could walk and talk, he no longer stumbled 

His dog was overjoyed

The mystery was unearthed

Vitamin B12, iron, and all kinds of other deficiencies 

We left and my dog looked at me 

He said, “What’s for dessert?”