Animal Summer

I've heard the expression "the dog days of summer" before, but I am really beginning to understand them now. It's a couple of weeks into summer weather, and a few weeks into my broke living habits, and I am starting to understand just what it's like to be a dog hung up on a hot summer day. Kept up in doors, not able to go any farther then the backyard. Lying around the house, panting and wanting to play. Sweating it out, with my tongue hanging out. Tethered to the house, not wanting to get in trouble, but just wanting to get into some fun. Only able to bark out instead of getting to go out. The dogs days of summer are what it's like when my brain reverts to thinking like a puppy, just wanting to play and enjoy life. Then, at other times, I'm reminded that everybody wants to be a cat. Because the cat's the only cat, that knows where its at. And it's fairly accurate. Lounging around the house, not bothered with anything trivial, or really anything at all. People watching through the window. Then warming myself in a sun bath. Grooming. Watching. Taking it all in without getting worked up or envious of action. Just keeping to myself and working on being purfect, while being up to my whiskers in money free activities. Adopting a feline state of mind helps me out when I'm beginning to feel caged in. Acting like a kitten keeps me from raging like a tiger. But on certain days, I don't feel very domestic, and I feel like the streets and sidewalks are holding me hostage. This is when I wish I could flush myself down the drain and end up in the ocean. Completely free to swim and make bubbles. I'd be as happy as a dolphin and as carefree as a clown fish. Only having to worry about getting caught up by a bird. It would be just as freeing to fly away, as it would be to swim away. Often times I have to resort to the cleverness of a bird, especially the ones that are caged. They always find ways to keep themselves occupied, with their wit and songs. Singing to themselves while they are perched, content as the world passes them by. I'm surprised they don't molt more often, because sometimes perching and singing is all that keeps me from pulling my own feathers out. So for the time being I'm alright with stalking and prowling around the house, keeping myself entertained and distracted. Whether by ball of string or the next best thing. But sooner or later my creativity will run out, so let's hope by then I've got more money coming in. The rest of this summer is going to be an interesting one. A tiger can only count his stripes so many times, before he has to find someone else to count them for him.

“From the oyster to the eagle, from the swine to the tiger, all animals are to be found in men and each of them exists in some man, sometimes several at the time. Animals are nothing but the portrayal of our virtues and vices made manifest to our eyes, the visible reflections of our souls. God displays them to us to give us food for thought." -V. Hugo