THE FAMILY PET -Poetry

Down the stairs of shaggy brown carpet,

Hunting through the legs of tables and chairs,

Beneath low-hanging cabinets and desks,

Lurches, the mighty German shepherd

To be stopped by nothing as it seeks for something to herd.

With a primal force that sends the dog on a search,

Pushing and prodding the toddler,

Behind the cat, it shoves,

shepherding, from the mighty working dog

To keep everything in line.

Back and forth across the green linoleum,

Running in circles through the house,

Around the walls goes the laser light.

Crazy becomes the canine,

To heed to a controlling obsession.

Through the air wafts the puppy’s odors,

Releasing its toxic smell,

Saturating the air, the stench carries and spreads.

Bloated, the dog’s stomach expands,

To torture the inhabitants of the home with gas.

Within its family, the dog plays, and protects,

Living as a human.

Together, they bring each other joy,

Creating an entire lifetime of memories for the dog.

-To the human, it feels like seconds until the dog passes.

-gone too quick

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The Family Pet

by Stephanie Daich