The Ambitious Dog
by
Matt Zurbo
Sandy was a dog with ambition!
A word not often used,
for pets and other playthings,
meant to laze and coo.
(Dog head high, walking down street.)
She wanted to jump higher,
fetch bigger things than sticks!
(Leaping into the air, no ground, about to chomp MASSIVE bone. Owner, a likeable young, skinny man with scruffy hair. His head is poking up at bottom of page, watching with a smile.)
Bark louder than other dogs,
throw up more, then eat bigger sick!
But Sandy fell down a lot,
chasing a butterfly she broke her leg.
(Awkwardly running off tree house chasing a butterfly. Owner lunging, too late, to save her.)
Hurt herself jumping on the bed,
Made people shake their heads!
(Owner taking her in arms to the vet, people in street giving him dirty looks.)
Unbowed Sandy would try again!
And again,
and once more.
To be the biggest,
the best,
dog her owner ever saw!
(With bandage on foot and cone over head, chasing dinosaurs. Owner, hands on his head, grimacing with fear, chasing her.)
Sandy wanted to scratch the biggest itch!
(Dog scratching, small cow sized flees tumbling out. Owner startled, flinching out of way)
Poo the biggest poo!
Wag the happiest tail!
(Propelling her through the air from massive poo. Owner near pile of poo holding his nose.)
Howl at more than just the moon!
(Howling in back yard at night, all eight planets and their moons large above.)
Chase the biggest cats!
(Lion not moving, just looking back at dog barking. Owner hiding behind tree.)
Eat the slimiest frogs.
Scare herself wit the loudest farts,
Be the most famous dog!
Sandy wanted to eat at the table!
Greet EVERYBODY with a kiss!
Round up every living thing!
Throw her own ball and never miss!
(Landing face-first, ball bouncing out of mouth.)
(Owner holding Sandy, taking to the vet again.)
Sandy knocked herself about so much,
Her owner started dating the local vet!
Which left him stressed yet weirdly grateful.
If not for her they would not have met!
Still, Sandy was not done.
Ambition never is.
The best swimmer, the best digger,
She fumbled and she slid.
If dogs could talk she would say:
“I love my master so much!
Oh, how I want to impress him!
Gah! But I just keep stuffing up!”
If Sandy’s owner could understand her,
he would have replied, also with love.
“Are you mad, the fun we’ve had,
remember that time you flew like a dove!?”
(Bouncing head-over-heals off trampoline, through flock of seagulls.)
Entertain, amused, frazzled,
Landing face first on the floor,
Sandy and her owner,
were never, ever bored.
(Dog and owner scruffed, dizzy, sitting on ground, smiling at each other.)
The End
365 kids books in 365 days 