It was Nick's job to take Polly to the vet downtown
The vet refused to come to Polly
And Polly didn't like the resident at the zoo
So Nick had to drive her
They would go in the zoo mobile
And make the twenty minute trip
Longer, if there was traffic
And Nick would sing
He would sing to whatever was on the radio
This was after he had stopped at Moira's
And received his free cup of tea
From Luina the waitress
Who haunted his dreams
'I love her, ' Nick would say
Not to Polly, because he didn't believe
In talking to pandas
But just to the windshield
'I love her so much, Polly'
Sometimes he'd slip
And talk to Polly
He couldn't help it
Polly would decide on the station
They listened to
'What? You don't like Hall and Oates?'
'Meh'
'Fine, but only because you're pregnant.'
Nick learned that Polly had favorites
She loved Earth, Wind, and Fire
She loved Willie Nelson
She loved early Elvis
She loved Diana Krall
'I'm not listening to "Why Should I Cry Again"...again!'
Have you ever heard a panda speak?
You'd think it would roar like a lion
But it doesn't
It just sort of squeaks like a parrot
It's unusual
But that's what it sounds like
Polly would try singing along
And it wasn't pleasant
So Nick would try to sing with her
To even out the harmony
'You were always on my mind...'
Nick couldn't believe that he was singing along
With a pregnant panda
Mourning his inabliity
To speak to Luina
One day Nick didn't have time
To stop at Moira's
Before the vet visit
So he went afterwards
And caught Luina walking to her car
'I'm sorry I missed you, uh, making my tea'
'It's okay. I'm glad you, uh, made it, uh, in time...to...say hi.'
Polly could see these two were hopeless
So she decided to step in
'I think your panda is urinating.'
'Is that code for something?'
'Uh...no.'
'I...oh God!'
It was very unusual
Polly never peed in the van
But Nick had left the door to the van open
So Polly could get a little air
And Polly peed knowing Luina would think it was cute
Seeing a grown man clean up after a pregnant exotic animal
Because that's the type of woman she seemed to be
'It's so cute seeing you take care of her'
And Polly was right
'Would you maybe, uh, want to get coffee, or something?'
'I work at a coffee shop.'
'Oh, uh, right'
'But I guess, uh, if we don't come to this one...'
Polly never did understand humans
But she loved them for how difficult
They always seemed to make their lives
Maybe it made things
More interesting
On the way home
Nick sang a happy song for once
And that made it all worth it
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