i remember the moment
when my collies
began to wobble
as if it were yesterday
which it was
give or take a year
or two

it came as quite a shock
until that point
they had always seemed
of steadfast
and sturdy stock
hardly worthy
of a tremor
or a tremble
but solid
solid as a rock

i presented them
to the doc
parting his paperwork
to let them rest
quivering
and shivering
atop his pock-marked desk
he gave me
the heebie-jeebies
in a jamjar saying
take two before breakfast
with a glass of wine
closely pursued
by two more
during newsnight
but not the bit when
the next day’s papers
get perused

now they’re as good as new