Glenn

16

A Perfect Ten
Not again
Another gopher has thrown itself into the pool
I see the brown mass of drowned fur and gag
at the thought of what is to come
I grab the pool net, take a few deep breaths
and reach out to pick up the suicidal beast
Now out of the water the rodent can be seen clearly,
mocking me with his macabre two-toothed grin
Smiling, he knows how much I hate doing this
A stench permeates the air, reaching the nose of a sleepy Labrador
In the distance, the puppy eyes the gopher longingly: a dellectable treat.
The dog is trotting over now, eager to claim his nauseating lunch.
It's now or never
With bared hand I pick up the gopher, bile rising in my throat,
and hurl the foul creature over the fence.
Behind me the dog voices his lament for his lost meal.
The gopher executes two flawless flips before disappearing over the oak trees
A perfect ten!