there was an insistent
barking dog next door
who let her presence be known
over and over again
i tried to tame her
with dog biscuits
water
kind words
perhaps love
but every time
the shadow of my hand
would come into her sight
she'd bark and bark
trembling furiously
at my audacity
for a day and a day i didn't hear
from her and i worried and
fretted over what her owners
had done to her
but she soon returned
with a jaunty new sweater
a longer leash
and a look of blood in her eyes
i looked from afar
in gratitude
wondering why i missed
her ferocity
was i always the shadowy helper?
no answer came
to my question of doubt
but her pout
no longer intrigued me
the need to be me
was stronger than
the uncertainty
of the crumbs she let free
(be)
