The Unwanted Gift

The Unwanted Gift

The dog looked triumphant as though she stood over a great gift
And that that gift was being presented to me. Every fibre of my
Being trembled with rage, as images of torturous mayhem flooded
My senses the tail wagged and tongue lolled exhausted from its toothy mouth

Suddenly as that low guttural roar began to grow like a lions roar in my throat
The tail stopped wagging went between her legs and she scrabbled, cartoon
Like toward her den in the kitchen, my heart thumped heard in my chest
Fists closed in determined punch mode, and my eyes bulged.

I surveyed the scene. I was like a newborn baby, the scream taking its time to build pressure; finally it arrived and broke free from me. I ran toward the now
Meek offender, and that animal who laughed silently seconds ago, trembled in primal fear as I charged full tilt. She lay on her back submissive and rivulets of

Urine passed from her as the inevitable approached. The crazy terrified Madness in her brown eyes though stopped me dead as we locked vision, and I Instantly felt the anger subside and tears began to dampen my flushed face.
I couldn’t do it. I had achieved my aim without landing a blow. I felt sickened

At the sight of that cowering timid beast, and shamed that I had induced
That reaction, the animal knew no better it was my fault and today
I faced the consequence of imagining that this animal was capable of
Understanding trust, love and in expecting human behaviors to be reciprocated.

I had crossed the threshold more than once in mistaking instinctual reactions
For fuzzy notions of undying love and loyalty, but these actions were innate
Survival methods, unrelated to emotions we experience, unintelligent choices,
That created balance and order in an animal’s way of life.

The kitchen door closed like that of a cell behind me, and I left her.
Both In solitude I contemplated the events of this oddly familiar day.
I reflected on how easily I had forgotten that she was just an animal
A pet, and that just like people, she would get it wrong sometimes.