cynical thinking in poetry

after years of studies in canine linguistics
I have determined that the standard bark
translates to “I am a dog!”
but they can mean “I am a dog!”
like fifteen different ways

to a dog they want to have sex with
a hyper-expectant pleading
“Iamadog! Iamdog! Iamadog!”

to a dog or other creature it wants to kill
a forceful authoritative warning
“I! am! a! DOG! I! am! a! DOG!”

to a human being perceived as withholding too
a pathetic self-effacing beg
of dependance and need
“Iiiii Ammmm Aaaaa Dooooog! Iiii Amm Aaaa Dog!”

to noises and grumbles where it cannot see the source
like a human yelling at the fates it cannot understand
the gods it can never see, the odds it can never read
“I AM a dog! I AM a dog! I AM a dog!”

it looks to the door and says
“I am a dog, I am a dog, I am a dog”
reminding us it must poop and pee outside
for that is part and parcel of dogness

it looks out the window and says
“IAMADOG IAMADOG IAMADOG”
imploring you to understand how
weird time is to a dog and it was
terribly confused, thought its
favourite human would never come back
now the human is back and in canineness
of course it is going to freak the hell out
it is a dog, that is what dogs do

it’s all about the inflection
it’s all about the intention
it’s all about the breath of
context and invention
your dog is always barking
“I AM A DOG! I AM A DOG! I AM A DOG!”
he just says it in a slightly different way
to mean a slightly different thing
every single time

good dog
WEIRD DOG
good dog

Last updated August 03, 2017