The Dog in His Heart
by Brendan Edward Kennedy
The man tries to be kinder to it now.
the one who swung his arms
to stave off, but never meaning
The man puts his hand out gently
toward the enormous heart
he has left discarded in the bedroom corner.
The dog no longer growls,
but licks the man’s palm,
gets its muttish fur mussed,
and comes back out of its den.
The man starts eating well again.
It does not take much to fill him
but he eats to his filling
and shares the rest with the dog.
quarter slices of meatloaf,
lettuce scraps, carrot bits, anything—
the dog gladly champs it down.
The man gives the dog a milkbone, then
gives the dog another milkbone.
The dog likes being a little fatter
The dog breathes eagerly.
The dog always looks to be smiling.
The man is learning how to do that
Most afternoons, if it is not raining,
the man takes the dog for a walk
in the park down the block.
No longer does he yank the leash
when the dog runs off for a pet
there are pretty girls everywhere.
even on the colder nights.
does not return to the heart,
but lays its bulk beside the man in his bed.
The dog keeps the man warm.
he pulls the comforter over
in the bigger, simpler ways
- © Brendan Edward Kennedy 2015
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