Ali MacDonald

Second Chances Ali MacDonald

Ali's cat passed away in July. 2018, and for months her only animal companions were a quartet of laying hens. Nice birds in their way, but hard to talk to about life. Winter came and the hens stayed out in their coop; Ali went inside and spent her days watching Youtube videos of animals and mourning. Then in December a knock at the backdoor got her up off the sofa. Out in the snow stood her husband, John, and a large skinny dog from the rescue shelter. Ali named the dog Sweetpea and they began to save each other's lives. The dog was frightened, malnourished, and had a mouth full of large white teeth. Ali had food, treats, and warm space to share. These poems focus on their experience of learning trust, hope, and how to play.