Young and Beautiful

I will not go there!
Even if I could afford it,
My mother’s spirit would rise
And strike me dead.

Tiffany already suffers from one disability:
She is pedigree, a Poodle.
It’s not her fault.
But, as a dog lover, I don’t like pedigrees.

Tiffany and Rose, our mutt,
Play with apparent indifference
To Rose’s lack of genealogical distinction.
Today Tiffany was different.

Her owner who “loves” the dog,
Noticed that with age Tiffany,
Had developed loose skin under her chin
And on her butt.

There was nothing for it
But to consider surgery.
We are talking Plastic Surgery
To remove unsightly droop.

This healthy eleven year old canine
Was anesthetized and subjected
To hours of cutting and stitching,
Followed by weeks of painkillers and a lampshade.

This form of torture will add not one minute
Of pleasure or comfort to Tiffany’s life.
Human guests will not notice the change,
Nor will other dogs stare wide-eyed at the transformation.

Generously, we might say,
Good for the owner, good for the dog.
Cynically, we might imagine
A view that all things must be young and beautiful.