Anywhere or Here

The way it looks from inside
the over here and so-so
liberation, and the destruction
of statues means so very much
to those whose dogs warrant
pet parks and leash laws,
whose dogs are prescribed
kosher diets and lean meats.
Here they just run rabid,
amok with the locals, steal
intestines from the butcher
and laze on the lengths
of long abandoned streets
you left to us along with
the rifles, spent rounds and blood stains.
Their fleas carry diseases
that only you know the name of
and have studied at university,
but we know them by heart,
know all these things better
than you. We kick these dogs
as you have kicked us to prevent
untold quantities of your indignation,
and alas, our vets all died or ran away.
When we hear that none of you
deserve a broken bridge
or poorly paved road,
that the government has deceived
you, we nearly agree
and when we dance, we clap.
We hope against hope
that you are finally
waking up now until at last
we stop and wait.
And here we are, waiting,
nothing to do but that
and watch as these soldiers
adopt the pups of a spotted
black bitch.