Eram Sum Ero.

Oremus Mare.

I believe in you.

February 11, 2025

A dog drinks from a river and thinks not. Never thirsty, but conveniently drinking. Walking up and down the river while watching the other animals rarely drink from the river. Sleeping next to the river is all the dog has ever known. The sounds bring peace. Day by day the dog drinks from the river, walks up and down, and sees the animals remain without water. They are so close, but why do they not drink? Some animals stand upright and urinate in the river. Some animals are unaware of their own filth. While walking, the dog stumbles over a small pail. Limping, the dog begins to bite the pail for causing it to limp. Nothing happens. The dog walks away from the pail and continues limping. Day passes. Night passes. The dog continues limping up the river and sees an animal that is normally standing now laying and surrounded by other animals. The lying animal appears weak, helpless, and struggling to rise. The dog thinks for the first time and runs to the pail he had tried to destroy days prior. With every step, the dog feels the pain in his leg, but continues sprinting through the limp. Finally, he finds the pail and notices a few holes in the sides. With the pail in his mouth, he scoops water from the river and sprints back to the lying animal. He must be fast enough before the water leaks out. The dog arrives swiftly and places the pail next to where the animal’s head rests. The dog aids the animal in lifting its head just enough to reach the water that remains. Some of the surrounding animals stare in silence. Others begin to make noise so loud that the animals underground began to crawl out and into the sun. The birds in the sky stopped flying to rest on the tree and watch from above. The fish in the river begin swimming so slowly that one may believe they aren’t swimming at all. Motionless. The animal drinks from the pail and begins to rise. Silence. The moon could be heard whispering to the sun. The animals slowly disperse, the dog picks up the pail, and walks back to the river to sleep. In the morning, the dog woke up surrounded by animals who were drinking from the river. Ants were transfering drops of water to their colony. Birds were flying from the tallest branches to deliver water to birds that have spent their life in flight. The dog slowly stood up, with the limp becoming more painful, and bowed his head to pick up the pail for other animals who have not drank from the river.