<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:Courier New, courier, monaco, monospace, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div>Bev, I too had to learn that poem. Here is my version based on my experience with Xena the Warrior Mouser ATB<font face="Times New Roman">
and Noah ATB, my first Basset rescue.</font></div><div> </div><div><font face="Times New Roman"> Maggie and Honnold's Hounds and 1 Firkitty....The Lady Thelma Lou, Huck the Hunk, The Gentle Phoebe Grace, and Cousin Bandit, plus Cali the Calico Cat. Hollyberry ATB, Noah ATB, Fergus ATB. </font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </div><div><font face="Times New Roman">By way of explanation, my husband and I always ate dinner at night in front of the TV in our bedroom.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 14pt;"><font face="Calibri">Rescued Companions</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 14pt;"><font face="Calibri">by Maggie Honnold<?xml:namespace prefix =
o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></font></span></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">The rescued dog and
the rescued cat, side by side on the bedspread sat.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">Eyeing each other…not
to close…not too far, wondering now should they sit there? Or spar?</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">A dinnertime drama
was about to unfold, who’d get the high ground? Their positions to hold?</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">For bed place positions
are important to claim …so they bully each other…it’s the name of the game.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">In the past they’ve been
hungry, and tired and cold… they’d fought for each scrape… and growled, oh so
bold.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">So it’s hard not to
push and to trust that this night, it wouldn’t be necessary for a dinner time
fight.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">Wait, here comes
their mom with a plate for their dad, with salmon and green beans and rolls to
be had.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">The smells fill the
room with aromas so sweet that it might be they could have a truce…just to eat.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">For each of them knew
before supper was done their mom would begin to offer them some…</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">She would pick up her
fork and stab a small bite and under the nose of the one on the right…</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">she would offer the
fork and a bite they could take… so not a growl or a hiss or a noise will they
make.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center; tab-stops: 348.75pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">For
now they are rescued, without hunger or pain, they know that this home is the
place they’ll remain</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center; tab-stops: 348.75pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">And
though they historically do not agree that a cat and a dog can all
friendly-like be </font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center; tab-stops: 348.75pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">Drawn
together by rescue, a history shared… gives appreciation to each and helps them
to bear… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center; tab-stops: 348.75pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">The
necessity which comes from a dinnertime where... both of the rescues must just…
give up </font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center; tab-stops: 348.75pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Calibri">and
share.</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div> </div></div></body></html>