The Dog

droopy dark circles around the eyes

brown eyes

sad eyes

sometimes he pees on the floor

they rub his nose in it

sometimes he is wiry

and playful

when they are tired and cranky

from their pitiful attempts at success 

and their over-abundance of failures 

they lock him in the kennel

with a bowl of tap water

and dry

bland dog food

he mopes to be let out 

but they cannot hear him

over the television

not over the phone ringing

with telemarketer's on the other end

and not over their constant nostalgia

for better days

he licks at his paw to pass the time

night after night

he licks the same spot

when he's thrown into the kennel

and the lights are turned out

first he licked away the fur

and then began to go the flesh

little tiny bits at a time

time after time

night after night

locked in the kennel

locked in darkness

licking at his paw

hoping that one day he might take a shit

and find a way to rub their noses in it