‘Twas morning in the Ferrari house
two days Christmas past
Life was getting back
to normal at last
Mom’s in the kitchen
brewing a cup
Dad’s in the bathroom
shaving his scruff
I crept out of bed
little 4-year-old me
To revisit the presents
that Santa brought me
My sisters, still sleeping
they hadn’t a clue
Of the calamitous doings
about to ensue…
Our dog was named Sunshine
half beagle, at most
The other half basset hound:
Dumb as a post.
This brilliant young pup
found a holiday treat:
She thought that the tinsel
was something to eat
Soon she’d get queasy
lowered eyes to the floor
Rocking forward and backward
5 minutes or more
The “extended heave warning”
gave time to react
We’d all run for newspapers
or brown paper sacks
More often than not
we would catch her in time
Sparing our rugs
of the glittery slime
We’d gone all through Christmas
playing this game
But this morning was special
not more of the same
She had eaten more tinsel
It did not agree
There she stood: heaving
right under the tree
All of our presents
were still on display
Right where we’d opened them
on Christmas Day
I entered the room
and clearly could see
Sunshine’s next targeted
barf casualty:
My sister Jen’s brand new
Fisher Price Zoo
Was about to be covered
in silvery goo
I had to think fast:
What can I do?
I can’t let her spew
on the Animal Zoo!
I got on all fours
I crawled under the tree
Grabbed her by the collar
and led her towards me
It seemed like slow motion
but safety seemed near
I began to stand up
when I thought I was clear…
But I wasn’t.
Ornaments shattering
down came the tree
On the stomach-sick dog
and pajama-clad me
Out of the living room
there arose such a clatter
My family ran in to see
what was the matter
From under the tree
they heard screaming and crying
My mother envisioned me
bleeding or dying
Quick as a flash
my dad lifted the tree
I was curled in a ball
with the dog beside me
He started to scold me
as he always did
My mother said
“Come on! Lay off of the kid!”
Pine needles were scattered
broken bulbs, too
But I only sustained
a small scratch or two
The tree went back up
a few ornaments lighter
The rope that secured it
was fastened much tighter
My act of heroics
became quite a joke
To share with the relatives
and neighborhood folk
They would all laugh
I’d join in too
At the sacrifice made
for the Animal Zoo
With all the excitement
as best I recall…
The dog never did
get sick after all!
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Photo Credit: Getty Images