THE CONSTITUTION AIN'T IN EFFECT IN OKALOOSA COUNTY

DAY FIVE: Prison Diary January 7, 2013 Solitary Confinement Okaloosa C.I., Crestview, FL

A happy birthday poem:   GUARDIAN ANGELS

A Tribute To Merry And Libby


She sought sanctuary at a church,
A fitting place on a frigid night
      near Christmas,
A plaintive whine in desperation
Drew a guardian angel to the door.


What she saw clenched her heart
      in pity, concern, and compassion:
A young dog, less than a year old,
     a puppy still, black and brown,
     a hound trembling in fear and cold,
     curled up in hurt, injured,
     starving, thirsty, abused,
     wincing, squinting in the door light.


She took her in, careful now,
A yelp — I’m sorry, girl,
     I don’t want to hurt you.
In the heated room the trembling
     could not abate, the puppy,
     given up, hope gone, on her last legs.
Let me give you a drink, girl,
     you must be so thirsty,
The guardian angel said.


She lapped the water from the bowl,
       tenuously, nervously, cringing,
       unused to kindness,
       only pain, as so many suffer
       the hatred, the angry kicks
       and curses, unwanted.
The guardian angel laid out cushions
       and blankets for a bed.
Let’s get you warm, little one.
I’ll call you Merry,
       since it’s Christmas.
Merry licked her hand
      in gratitude and relief,
Laid back and went to sleep.
The guardian angel fed her, nursed her,
      loved her, treated her wounds.
The vet tut-tutted, she was almost dead,
      someone mistreated this dog.
I know, but she is safe now,
      she is home, she is mine.


As Merry strengthened and grew stronger
      she never left
      her guardian angel’s side,
At work, she curled up on a blanket
      beneath the angel’s desk,
Alert to any visitor who might venture
      too close, letting them know,
This one is mine,
      she is under my protection.
At home, on guard, the mailman
      never got past the door
      in all the years Merry
      stayed on duty, ever vigilant,
especially on neighborhood walks
when strange dogs came to sniff,
a growl was all Merry needed
      to maintain the safety zone
      around her guardian angel.


Merry made many friends over the years,
      Marty and Buddy, Bentley and Blue,
Neighborhood dogs from the smallest
      to large, Chihuahuas, schnauzers, a wolf,
      a yapping trio of Bassett pups.
Everyone loves Merry,
She even forebore a series of cats,
Disdainful of those who lounged on her bed,
Calmly biding her time till the cat
      left her bowl unattended:
Scarf, scarf, the cat food was gone.


It has been many long years
     since that night in December,
Years of happiness and joy.
She’s fourteen now, slowed down some,
     hard of hearing,
Yet some mornings she’s frisky as a pup
     on the walks with her guardian angel,
     the cool air refreshes her thick fur coat,
     she’ll still chase a squirrel,
     and ducks in the park,
She loves to wade in the surf
     at Flagler Beach, and ban
     every seagull in her vicinity.
She has loved long and well
     Her guardian angel,
And guarded her in turn,
     on late-night grocery runs
     and ATM’s, then at home
     in secure sleep, always.
For Merry has known
     what others have not:
We are guardian angels
     to each other.



Charlie