ruby 81
Here we go, happy holidays
July 4th, 1981, candles of a Roman ilk
Unloaded from a chevy truck Into the home her folks had built
Patio was charcoals and extended fam in folding chairs
Safely arced around the yard to focus on the smoking flares
Couple cousins, uncles, aunts, mostly grown-ups, couple brats
Baby Ruby's only two She's too close to the jumping jacks
Mommy scoops her to the house/Buckles up the booster seat
Rolls her to the storm door
Let her long for all the lunacy
Telephone distracting Mom/Ruby wriggles out her strap
Fingers push the plexi-glass/She's off into the sour patch
Past the pyrotechnics undetected and invisible
Woke the sleeping beagle skipping toward the kidney swimming pool
Off into the yawning blue/The splash would mum the rocket-ships
Ruby's lungs were filling by the time her kin were cognizant
Many sprung and sprinted down All arrive belated but
The beast she had earlier bestirred had been alert since waking up
Canine let his gainer fly/Water top commotion grow
Howling guests assumed the cloven hooves had come to do-si-do
Frenzied and congested deck Part to let the elders see
Soggy beagle gently dragging Ruby in his yellow teeth
Laid the tiny body in the sun before her Father‘s feet
When she choked the liquid through her bluish lips he dropped his knee
Healthy air had reconvenedTowel his shaking Ruby off
EMT confirm the save,Everybody say "Good dog!"