In praise of good company

Yesterday I spent a happy day working on my bed, in my pajamas, with my wireless laptop computer and my dogs napping contentedly nearby. And all day, part of a poem from Jane Kenyon kept running through my head.

The dog searches until he finds me
upstairs, lies down with a clatter
of elbows, puts his head on my foot.

Sometimes the sound of his breathing
saves my life--in and out, in
and out; a pause, a long sigh.

This is from a poem of hers that I love, called Having It Out With Melancholy, about her lifelong battle with depression. I'm in a very cheery mood today, and I wouldn't want this choice of poem to suggest otherwise. I just love that image of the comfort brought by a dog's quiet presence and steady breath.