Without a leash

Walking alone

in the heart of the city

Feeling the strain

as the skyscrapers wail

Wondering lost

like a dog with no owner

Broken apart

but still wagging my tail

Begging for scraps

in the alleys of sorrow

Chasing a cat

up a fictitious tree

Crossing the street

against oncoming traffic

Nothing to scratch

no not even a flea

Wondering if

some will reach down and pet me

Show me some love

that I’ve not felt in days

Give me a bite

of their ham and cheese sandwich

Maybe a chip

from that new bag of Lays

I know they won’t,

I can sense hesitation

It’s in their eyes

they can’t see in my heart

They’ll never know

it is shattered and broken

Nothing remains

ever since we did part

So here I walk

with no leash tied to guide me

Grinding my teeth

on a discarded bone

A mangy old mutt

who has no one to love him

Roaming the streets

of this city, alone

Author's Note

Note: Lays is a brand of potato chip in the U.S.

Reviews

[Mauricio Montoya]

I had to read again before I could comment, dog's wow such great image of how we ourselves,from the country to a city, yes life is different but I like how you brought these words together., It made me think are we organic to what we've created.
Thank you for sharing
PS love the write

[willweb]

Thanks so much Mauricio. I am happy you enjoyed this. I appreciate your visit.

[Mauricio Montoya]

It's an excellent write, I hate dogs but they do have a way to make you love them, but sometimes we become dogs your write is good because it made me see both sides.
Thank you.

[Ciara]

Aww. Poor pooch. And yet haven't we all felt similar at times.

[willweb]

Yes, I believe we have. Thanks Ciara for stopping by and commenting on my poem.

[JD Major]

You've done it again Willweb, so Imaginative, so Creative! Partway thru I laughed when I got that it was a dog, then you had almost in tears. Great write!
PS: Haha, thanks for your nice Review today on the piece I sent in by mistake! Just blocked it, til I tweak it some more, but apparently it doesn't need as much as I thought :)

[willweb]

Thanks JD. Just trying to relate feelings to something others maybe can relate to...at least a dog can, I would think and maybe a few snickering cats. : ) Thanks again my friend.
No problem, I am always seeking out new words to read and sometimes I get there a bit early.

[William Michael Reeves]

I love the dog. Eternal optimists. Opportunists by instinct. And smart enough to see all that we are in our eyes. I'm an agnostic in the strict definition of it, but sometimes think there is something supernatural about our relationship with dogs. Like there might be something to intelligent design. A dog's abilities and unconditional love for us doesn't seem natural. Your poem does though.

Is that a typo? Wondering lost, or is it a play on the dog's emotions? The more I think about it the more I like it. Wondering lost. I've spent some time doing that.

[willweb]

At first t was a typo but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it too, so I left it. Thanks so much William. This was a fun poem to write, it just appeared on the page so to speak.

[John the Baptist]

Well, ain't love great? Anything that can make you grind your teeth on a discarded bone has to be A#1.

[willweb]

You know, those things really don't have any flavor, but they are fun to gnaw on. Thanks so much John.

[Gee]

Some of us men folk need a hand to guide us through life, I'm lucky my good lady grabbed my leash 31 years ago and led me into a life of love and happiness.
Your poems flow effortlessly, never forced, so easy and enjoyable to read.

[willweb]

Thank you so much Gee and congrats on 31 years. here's pulling for another 31.