i was getting drenched and hoping my coat would hold and i looked down at him in his dripping fur and those big black eyes with a rim of white pupil blinking up in his white face and asked are you ok mister? and he's feeling it, he's gaining water by the moment, he's hugging the bushes, walking sodden, licking the leaves and his dripping nose, and he has that look like a kid but a kid that grows up and stays a kid, that pulls your heartstrings because that's what is supposed to be, we're supposed to have our heartstrings pulled and we're supposed to ask, are you ok? and make sure you're ok, like we're reminded, to ask our own self, are you ok today in all this rain, am i ok?