he wants another dog / his died over a year ago / went off by herself and never came home / one of the kids found her down by the creek and drug the body back / every time i see a dog on the television i smile he says / doesn’t matter what kind of dog or what the dog is doing he says / he’s close to 93 now but he’s healthy i tell him / why not get another dog i tell him / he gets his exercise and eats right i tell him / he doesn’t drink doesn’t smoke i tell him / maybe i should start he says / i talk about something else / maybe i should start he says again mostly to himself / loneliness is the only word for it / lost his wife years ago / and now the dog he can’t bear to bond with anything or anyone else / loneliness is all that’s left / i spot a bird’s nest by the front door when i leave and i tell him about it / his eyes light up and i know it will be enough to keep him here for a while longer /
by janelle cordero, from woke to birds
