Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thursday, friends! It's time for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. Are your ready? We sure are.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to guide us on our poetic endeavors. This week's prompt was this adorable one here:

Being in a festive mood and with holiday mashups on my mind, I decided to go for a poem in that vein of thought, mainly with Thanksgiving and Christmas in the mix. I got just a couple lines into it before I realized that my poem and its concept seemed really familiar. That's when I remembered that I'd done a poem with that same premise before, when our poetic host had previously shared a prompt with a child and their dog. I searched for that old poem and found it from November of 2019. What I decided to do was resurrect that poem, do some editing on it, and share it in its new and maybe or maybe not improved version. So, here you go.

Thanksgiving

The big day had finally come.

It was time for turkey and pie and festive fun.

After all, it was the one and only Thanksgiving Day,

Which meant delicious food and a grand parade.

This day of feasting and fun was young Henry's favorite of them all.

It was also the favorite of his best friend, Freddy the dog.

Henry and Freddy always shared what the day had in store.

Henry even gave Freddy nibbles of turkey and pies galore.

It was what came after the feast, though, that the two enjoyed the most.

When they could not even stuff in their stomachs a piece of toast,

Henry bundled up and asked Freddy,

"It's time, boy! Are you ready?"

The boy's best friend let out a chipper woof,

And the two soon stood beneath the sun instead of the roof.

Outside, through the window could be seen the family cat.

Henry tapped on the glass and asked,

"Do you want to come along this year, Jack?"

The cat squinted up at the icy blue sky.

Then it yawned and went back to sleep with a hefty sigh.

Henry shrugged and said, "Suit yourself, Jack. Bye!"

And so the boy and the dog continued on their way,

Excited for what was to come on that cold autumn day.

"Isn't this the most wonderful time of the year, Freddy?"

Henry clapped as he opened the garage and got the wagon ready.

"If we get to the parade fast, we'll get a front row seat."

Wagging his tail, Freddy danced on his big ol' feet.

Ten years was the age of the boy Henry,

And for all those years he'd enjoyed the parade with Freddy.

It had become tradition for Henry to hop into his favorite red wagon,

And Freddy would pull him to the parade with his happy tail wagging.

And so, as usual, Henry hopped into the wagon and took his seat.

Then he watched Freddy move in front of it on those furry feet.

That's when Henry noticed something for perhaps the first time.

Freddy's fur was speckled with grey, no longer in its prime.

The dog stood wagging and ready to go,

But Henry had to admit that these days his best friend's pace was a tad bit slow.

"Wait a second, Freddy," Henry said.

The boy hopped out of his wagon and patted his pup on the head.

"Freddy, I think it's your turn to hop in for the ride.

I can't believe you've never enjoyed the parade from the wagon's other side."

The boy's best friend looked at the wagon and tilted his head.

Henry smiled, "You deserve it, Henry. Go ahead!

You've pulled me to the parade for ten whole years.

If I didn't give you your turns, I'd deserve to be jeered."

Just like that, the dog let out a happy woof and, with Henry's help, hopped on in.

On his furry face was a great big slobbery grin.

At first Henry almost felt sad to think of Freddy growing old and grey,

Until he realized there was no shame in that, not in any way or on any day.

It simply meant Freddy was wise beyond his years, quite sage!

Freddy grinned and looked at the sights as Henry pulled him in the wagon.

The dog's tail just was wagging, wagging, and then again wagging.

They made it to the parade in time for a prime spot.

It was like getting the best parking space in the lot.

Henry and Freddy could feel winter coming on that Thanksgiving Day,

But to them that was honestly more than okay.

After all, they had each other.

Despite their differences, the two were like brothers.

By each other's sides, Henry and Freddy enjoyed all the festive sights and sounds.

There was so much thanksgiving to be had all around.

How really, truly perfect was that Thanksgiving Day,

Right down to jolly Santa Claus floating down the street in the parade.

***

Now, let's get right to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Shall we see what Thimble is grateful for today?

Well, it looks like Thimble's gratitude for today is in the form of a blooper. What's she's thankful for is her turkey toy, which she is just about to throw off that table in that there outtake of a photo. For the record, I honestly tried to get a good photo of Thimble and her beloved turkey. Somehow, though, this is the best, least blurry out of the bunch.

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Last but not least, let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I am thankful for _________ and _________.

2. I look forward to eating _________ on Thanksgiving.

3. I didn't realize _________ until _________.

4. There's no shame in _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip in our Thanksgiving series is about none other than pie. As we've said on many occasions over time, plain pumpkin contains fiber and other nutrients that can have benefits for our furbabies and their health. That being said, though, not all components of Thanksgiving pies are as equally beneficial. For example, another popular Thanksgiving dessert is pecan pie, but do be cautious with this around your furbabies. Pecans are not particularly safe to feed your pup or kitty. One reason is simply that pecans can cause an upset gastrointestinal tract, and could also lead to bowel obstruction. Also take into consideration any other pies you make and what ingredients they contain. For example, chocolate pies or those containing raisins are of course dangerous to cats and dogs. What's more, when it comes to any kind of pie, whether it be pumpkin, pecan, or another, added sugars and other potential added ingredients can be less than ideal for our kitties and pups to consume. So, when you're making or eating those Thanksgiving pies, keep dangerous ingredients and the final products well out of your furbaby's reach.