This is a poem about all the dogs who want to run, play, and feel loved and included.

It’s hard to swallow when I pull too hard.

Still I forget every day.

Now it is morning and I watch the lady walk across the sidewalk and she says my name.
She makes a kissing sound.

The man, he comes out and he plays stick with me, picking it up and shaking it, enticing me.

I get so excited and I run a few steps to get it. Then I forget again and I

jump
  
Into the air!

For one beautiful exciting happy moment

I am free!

Then the chain pulls me back

and I remember.
The man pats me on the head and goes back into the house.

The little boy sloshes water from my dirty bowl onto the patio.

He throws some kibble into another bowl. It is okay, but I really want something new for a change.

He roughly pats my head and goes back inside.

Through the window I see him sitting with some flat thing that he stares at for a long time.

I don’t know why it is more fun than playing with me.

With me, he can throw sticks to his heart’s content.

And I would fly and he would see that.

It would be

cool wonderful funny

and I would lick him and snuggle And he could touch my soft fur.

But he doesn’t do that.

I put my nose on the glass door

It leaves little marks.

I look at the happy family having dinner inside

And I just sit here on the scorching pavement.

My water is unbearably scalding in the sun on summer days.

Sometimes the lady puts ice in it.

I like that.

But then she goes away.

I watch her high heels as they scrape along the sidewalk pavement.

I cry.

I cry from loneliness...

From frustration.

And then the man comes and steps around my piles to throw the stick again.

And for five minutes I forget that I am trapped.

I run and chew the stick and I lick his hand and I wag my tail and I give little jumps so that I don’t choke and I lay on my back and he rubs my tummy for a short time.

Then he leaves

and I go to sleep under the bushes because it is cooler.

It feels nice to lie on the soft green grass and listen, just a little bit, to my own snoring.

I like that sound.

Then the little boy comes outside.

Today he has friends and they pet me!

I grab a stick and I run to them and the big one in the blue shirt

He

Takes the stick and he throws it and I get it and I bring it back and he scratches me behind my ears.

It feels so good and I kick my leg because I can’t help it and I hear laughing but it is nice laughing.

The one in the yellow shirt rubs my tummy and then I jump up to lick his face and he laughs

Happy happy laughter.

I start to run and I forget where I am.

This is joy.

Then they start to go inside and I try to run after them and the collar

It chokes me.

And

Then

I remember.