The Family Dog

My family always had a dog

My mother, brother, and I

He would sit by the door and pounce on your lap

Breath heavy with smells of canned meat

Tail wagging with excitement

My family pitied it but I knew better

It was a mutt

Stupid and naïve

Hinging on every last word that left peoples mouth

He’d follow you to the edge of the earth

Just to jump off with you

my father loved it to death but never had time

working or searching

for a distraction

the dog would stare out the window waiting for him

breath fogging the window so he wouldn’t have to see his reflection

or see my father’s car driving past without stopping

my mother would scream

get away from the window, she didn’t want to

clean it again

and so I stopped waiting at the window

and instead, rest my head on the cold kitchen tiles