On Top of the World

He was one of those
goodness gracious people
who popped up their joy
like a jack-in-the-box

out-of-nowhere coming
from the vet’s office
with positive results
for his dog he called
my mister baby

dressed like a trucker man
rough and tumble big

he said this deserves a yodel

right then and there he opened
up his clean-shaven face

and he sang shouted warbled
on and on until I felt my face
smile big and mountain-top high
like it did when I was two

because he was one of those
people who could make all the
cows and goats want to come home

and all the cynical parts of us
go take a hike in the all-alone

by Susan Shea

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Editor’s Note: This poem’s imaginative language is a fitting vehicle for the joyful, emotional surprise sprinkled throughout the narrative.