The Dog and I

One day as I was sitting in a restaurant,

Waiting for the parcel I had ordered,

A stray dog from a nearby street,

Into the premises casually sauntered.

My fear and fright knew no bounds,

Given my innate and lifelong cynophobia,

The steward told me that he is as harmless as a pet,

But it did it little to assuage my paranoia.

I repeatedly requested the manager,

To drive him away or at least lock the gate,

He acceded to the former but the dog would re-enter,

As confident as a patron but twice as obstinate.

The staff had other customers to entertain,

The dog and I sat quietly,

He waiting for a scrumptious treat for someone,

Me wanting to get out of there quickly.

Meanwhile, I tried to distract myself,

Read a page or two of my novel to ignore,

And as soon as my parcel arrived,

I bolted out through the main door.

Throughout our life, we are forced to see and hear,

Things with which we may not agree or like,

But just imagine how humdrum the world would be,

If all persons spoke, thought, or did alike.

At first, I detested the dog's presence,

But he eventually turned out to be an amiable companion,

Likewise, our vistas of knowledge will expand,

If we listen to divergent views and opinions.

As I drove home, I couldn't help but cogitate,

How important it is to live and so let,

How much easier it is to protect our feet,

With slippers than to cover the Earth with carpet.