the dog

with pure adoration, i cling to those that look my way

wagging my tail and flashing my teeth, i scratch at the carpet for one moment of recognition

i would rip the seams off your very being just so you had someone to tie them together again

i understand now i’m just a mutt

i use my violence as a way to beg for affection. i bow at your feet with my tail between my legs and beg for your touch

i will take the beatings if they shape me into someone you deem worth keeping around

i will cower and ask for mercy

and i will not dare raise my voice to bark back