Transformed

When we first knew her she was the
mother of two teen-age boys, a smiling
loquacious young woman companioned
at all times with a dog by her side. She
is a neighbour with whom we have some
things in common, a generation is not
one of them. Back then she was an
arresting sight, delicately formed, the
face of an angel framed by a cap of
curly red hair, so burnished in the sun it
seemed to crackle with fire, freckles
daintily dotting her cheeks. We have 
known her since then to have a succession
of three large-breed dogs, all devoted to
her and all resembling her as dogs are
wont to do their human companions for
their haircoats have all been that very
same shade of flaming red. From a long
distance we can discern her gait, rolling
from side to side, as she approaches for
that once-delicate conformation has assumed
astonishing proportions rather akin to that
of a dirigible. The slender proportioned
young woman has disappeared but the
infectious smile and bright, enquiring eyes
above all that flaming cap, they're there.