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performed at Raise the Woof 2022
We met via social media
A typical 2020 relationship
I was locked in the house
Watching the paint dry on the 15th DIY
And you were the 17th storytime I read on my timeline: “How I found out my rescue was pregnant Part 1”
It was long
But I’ll summarize
They said your name was Whimper
That you cried more than any other puppy in the bunch so it seemed to be a fit
And as the 4th kid born to a bunch of 8
I could relate to it
So I scheduled to come see you but convinced myself that I would keep my options open
I googled “how do you know which puppy to pick?”
And after scanning over multiple opinion pieces I read something that hit me
It said “choose the one that chooses you”
I have never been chosen before
But I have dreamt of it so many times that I knew exactly what it would feel like
I knew intimately what it meant
Part two of the story mentioned something about you being an accident
And for the first time I actually believe it when they say that everything happens for a reason
In my home we believe that your name speaks for you so my first two L’s are Layla and Liam
Night and protector
Layla made darkness the most beautiful mosaic
A familiar place
Turned a fearless space
A star so bright it lit the walls of my voids
And Liam protected me from the places I need a shield to navigate
And we renamed you Legend
“History, story, myth”
My third L who would help me live something so beautiful the past me wouldn’t believe it could exist
We took you home
And for the first few weeks you tore up everything your little paws could kiss
First time I took you to the vet we talked about you having separation anxiety
Imagine being taken away from everything you knew
Second time we talked about how that fear manifest in your behaviors
Imagine how you show up when you are scared and don’t know what to do
I left that appointment unsure if I had bitten off more that I could chew
And then I remembered that you chose me and I chose you
And maybe we could find a few things, other than the furniture that you could chew
Like most things in the pandemic
I had no clue what was coming down the pipeline
So when lupus decided chemotherapy was next I worried what I would do and feared when I would see everyone I loved next
Separation anxiety
Imagine being taken away from everything that you knew
Fear
Imagine who you show up as when you don’t know what to do
But you had already walked that road
And done it with a leash
I was in good company
You chose me
I thought it was cute that you stayed attached to my hip until I realized you studied my behavior and knew when I would seize
You learned how to grab my medicine bag when I forgot what I was supposed to do
You laid yourself between me and my health
And no one ever had to ask you to
We do not deserve our animals
But thank God someone in the creation room still thought we could learn to
These are the ultimate teachers
They see the best in us when we struggle to see ourselves at all
They find the joy in every location
In wars
In cages
In the arms of the most broken hearted nations
We have one job
And it is simple by comparison
That is to take care of the ones that take care of us without hesitation
That means we teach it in every classroom
That means we provide access to care wherever we can
That means we bring up new generations of aspiring Veterinarians that understand our pets are the best this life has to give
We have been chosen
Legend is my family
He is my third L
The rewrite to a once tragic story
Legend teaches me patience
Teaches me grace
Teaches me to breathe when I worry
Legend holds my children when my body can’t find a way to
Legend picks up the leash and walks with me when I can’t seem to find a way though
He is family
And family is not decided by blood or even species
family is decided by our ability to love
And if having the ability to love unconditionally is the height of living on this plane
than our pets come here by choice
They have already mastered all that there is to know about this place
We are the lucky ones
In a world that often struggles to see
They are the vision
We need only to care for them the way they care for us
That…. Is the mission
Brittany Delaney is a spoken word Artist/Arts Educator born and raised in Minnesota. She has been performing on the scene for 19 years after getting her start in slam poetry. She’s facilitated poetry workshops in K-12 schools and university-based establishments across the country and worked as a curriculum consultant. She is currently serving as executive director for Black Table Arts Cooperative in Minneapolis, MN.
Learn more about Black Table Arts here: https://www.blacktablearts.com/