I love my dog
and his big golden paws
and his velvety ears
and his furry white chest
and his blueish-black flank
and his irritability
when guests arrive
and his doggy smell
and his doggy tail
that whips our calves
and his sharpish claws
that claw our thighs
when he jumps
because when he jumps
he’s excited
very, very excited
he thinks he’s going places
going out to see the world
going out to traipse the yard
to nose-slide in the grass
to bite the frisbee
out of the air
and trot back to us
drop it, and sit. And wait.
I love my dog
because he sits
and looks up
with his ears pointy
and his eyes unblinking
and might lift a paw
if it seems a handshake
is in order.
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