LAUNDRO-MAX

It was a fancy fire station,
Ready to receive a lovely lady,
For a colossal celebration ---
Preston's Grandma was turning eighty!

He'd gone to get her from the airport,
While Chief picked up pecan and peach cream pies.
We were wrapping gifts out in the courtyard,
When alarm bells caught us by surprise.


It was the computer shop on Parkdale,
With the Internet cafe.
It was where Gus checked his e-mail,
At the start of every day.

Departing for our destination,
Frazier froze us in our tracks.
“There's no one left here at the station!
Sherman, go tell Gus to babysit Max.”


“You need to watch our little doggie,
He'll soon be waking from his nap.
Please take him out to use the potty,
Before he has his morning snack.

There's apple juice up in the fridge,
And some people crackers in the drawer.
Please use his sippy cup with lid,
Since we just scrubbed the firehouse floors.


If you'd like to entertain him,
You can take a walk along the path.
But don't let him dig behind the station,
'Cause we just gave that pup a bath.

Please be on your best behavior,
Leave those hoses well alone.
And if you see suspicious strangers,
You can reach us on our phone.”


He went to peer in on that puppy,
And found Max waking from his nap.
Very slowly he got up and
Escaped to the kitchen in nothing flat!

He ignored the grapes and gourmet cheeses,
And a box of puppy biscuit bones.
He went straight up to the freezer,
For a chocolate cherry ice cream cone.


By the time Gus grabbed that Beagle,
He had made a horrible mess ---
Melted ice cream on the table,
And on Grandma Julius' birthday dress!

Preston had bought this lovely present,
And planned to wrap it in a box.
Pretty and pink with fancy velvet,
Adorned with festive big black polka dots.


Gus gulped, “She'll be landing any minute,
Her plane is on its way from Dallas!
We've got to clean that dress this instant,
Or Chief Dan is gonna kill us!”

So they set out on their mission,
To the local laundromat,
That spotted young Dalmatian
And his petite apprentice Max.


They opened up the door down under,
And put that dress into the wash.
At buttons, knobs, controls they wondered,
Then set them all to scalding hot.

The Speed Queen cleaned that dirty collar,
But then their tumble time expired.
As Gus went to break another dollar,
Max dumped some bleach into the dryer.


Those dogs were most surprised,
And that faded dress was quite a sight.
It had shrunk to half its size,
And the polka dots were white!

As he hung it on the hanger,
It crumbled to a cloud of dust.
All that remained was just a label,
“Dry Clean Only? Bones!” cussed Gus.


Max then had an inspiration ---
“There's a dress shop at the mall.
It's by the pet store where I came from,
And it's not that far at all.”

They made the trip by bus
(It was the Metro Red Express).
“There it is!” cried Gus,
“The pink and polka dotted dress!”


But petite? Or medium? Or plus?
They didn't have a clue.
Max then said to Gus,
“She's about as big as you.”

Gus tried it on, it fit just right,
When across the mall he saw Chief Dan.
It just can't be! Is it the light?
I think I need an eye exam!


The clerk said, “Eighty dollars, eighty cents,
And another five oh five for tax.”
“Don't look at me,” that Beagle winced,
“My credit line is maxed!”

They scrambled to the station,
And put that dress back in the box.
They set up a few more decorations,
Then welcomed home the fire trucks.


The party was a great success,
And the gift she dearly loved.
When Grandma wore that pretty dress,
It fit just like a glove.

“It's a miracle I can't explain,”
Preston thought he'd bought that dress too big,
“And what happened to that stain
Where I spilled the chocolate milk?”


David J Allen
June 12, 2005


Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.


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