The conspicuous absence of...

There she is again:
Snoring on the foot of the bed;
Rolling on the couch, kicking her feet with wild abandon;
Having a late-night drink of water,
then barking to go outside;
Running from room to room,
toenails clicking on the hardwood floors;
Prowling the kitchen, searching for a dropped bit of cheese;
Napping next to my desk,
just close enough to scratch on the head;
Sitting on my lap as I read;
Waiting by the front door when I come home;
The conspicuous absence of dog.


Based in part on a poem I read once, but never found again.