HomeThe Baked Chicken Affair
by Dr. James Piatt
I hope to get out of here someday, but I find it difficult to move upwards in a pine box filled with dead roses, termites, and chicken bones. Every night, my dog brings chicken bones and buries them in the soft earth next to my grave. I think he is still angry with me for not allowing him to eat a chicken I bought for him. I baked a chicken and it smelled so good my girlfriend and I ate the whole chicken before my dog had a chance to even smell the chicken fragrance. My dog whined so loudly; I kicked him outside so we could enjoy eating the chicken without his interference. I don’t think he will ever forgave me; hence, the burying of the bones next to my tomb will probably continue forever.
It is said that dogs aren’t very smart, but my dog has a Ph.D. in bone burying and memory keeping of such things as whole baked chickens, of which he had none. It was said, by an expert named anon that buried chicken bones can grow into whole chickens. I am not sure where my dog heard that, but he must have or he wouldn’t be still burying the darn chicken bones next to my grave.
The moon is out tonight, the cemetery is quiet, and my dog is scratching to see if there are any chickens growing near my tombstone. He is also wee-weeing on my grave; I think he is still mad at me. Anyway, I plan to get out of this darn box on my birthday, just as soon as I can figure out how to get this darn chicken bone out of my throat.
Dr. Piatt received his BS and MA from California Polytechnic University and his doctorate from BYU. He is a retired educator and native Californian. He is the author of 2 poetry books, “The Silent Pond,” and “Ancient Rhythms,” 2 novels, “The Ideal Society,” and “The Monk,” over 535 poems, 33 short stories, and 7 essays. His poem “The Night Frog” was nominated for best of web 2013. His books are available on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
