Tom Hanks had a “hankering” for distance running, when he portrayed Forrest Gump in the movies. If you’re not familiar with the word, I looked up the definition:. 
  • A strong wish:  Don’t you ever have a hankering for a different lifestyle?
  • Feelings of desire: Don’t you ever have a hankering for ham, like our dogs? 

                                        Thesaurus: synonyms and related words:

appetite, call, caprice, compulsion, covetous, craving, dream, drive, get itchy feet, hunger, impulse buy, impulse buying, inclination, longing, lust, vaulting, whim, wish, yearning, or yen.

Our pets have a similar desire when it comes to ham – I call it “hamkering.” Every night before bedtime we feed them pieces of Hillshire Farms Honey Baked Turkey Breast. The brand has varied through the years and has evolved from ham to turkey for health reasons. Our pets don’t know the difference and never complained when the change was discretely instituted. “Ham Time” was actually the suggestion of our veterinarian back in Indianapolis (Zionsville). He felt that the protein was a valuable supplement to our dog’s regular diet and our cats enjoyed the tasty benefits, as well. The excitement it generates each night is indescribable, but I would imagine it to be a heavenly experience. To me, H.A.M. is an appropriate abbreviation for Heavenly Angelic Moment  I’ve used a poem to help define this experience:

 

Hamkering

Just before bedtime,
A very familiar scent.
The start of another,
Heavenly Angelic Moment.

The sky seems to open,
The angels start to sing.
And point to the heavens,
With the wave of a wing.

A symphony of musicians,
Accompany this sight.
Everything is bathed,
In breath-taking white.

A ray of golden sunshine,
Breaks through the clouds.
A feeling of ecstasy,
Comfortably Enshrouds.

They’ve waited all day,
For this moment to come.
The refrigerator opens,
Ham Time has begun.

Trumpets blare,
To the beat of the drums.
A tingling sensation,
Starts in their gums.

Tongue anticipation,
An adrenaline rush.
Tails perk-up,
Saliva starts to gush.

Lips are licked,
Eyes dilate.
The package unsealed,
They just can’t wait.

Trying to be gentle,
They grab for a bite.
Then they want more,
Restraining to fight.

Then it’s all over,
To bed they retreat.
With dreams of getting,
More of it to eat.

And when daylight comes,
The first thing to mind.
Even before they,
Scratch their behind.

They start to have,
A real Hamkering.
And they can’t wait,
For the angels to sing.

Copyright 2018 johnstonwrites.com