Today they took my dog’s womb.

The vet,

Friendly young woman in dark blue scrubs

Face mask and clipboard,

Took me through

The ins and outs of the procedure.

Operation to render my dog

Sterile.

/

My last dog Maisie

Was also spayed

Although

I seem to have lost the memory.

/

Now, Stella,

As she cowers,

Under my desk,

Beside the radiator

Collar of shame

Interfering with her perambulation.

/

I hear her moving.

/

I’ve offered her treats of chicken hearts.

She isn’t biting.

/

It might take a while before she forgives me.

/

The morning vet interaction

Took me back in time, over 40 years,

To when I was a tot

And my mum took me to nursery.

/

In those days

Before children acquired relevance or importance

My mum would take me

To the front door and hand me over.

/

Mummies weren’t allowed inside.

/

A dark Glasgow semi;

/

Thinking back,

On those who ran the place,

faceless.

distorted

comic-book shadows.

/

It was my first encounter with the system.