She crept through the gate

and I hid, for a moment,

underneath the rose bushes by the far corner,

in familiar shadows

they smell

like me

i peed there once

in that place she just stepped

so it's my place

mine

maybe

just maybe i will rush over

and bite her

she shouldn't be here

and i ought to let her know

yes

i ought to let 

her 

know

but she is so

young

tender

she 

doesn't look mean

i could just chase her off

yes i could

chase her off

but that would

scare her

she might fall and hurt herself

that would be bad

bad

she

is so small

i can smell her

smell her

and she smells 

like flowers

i

like flowers

small, tender

flowers

i peed by these flowers, too

they smell like me

they're my flowers

mine

she's picking 

my flowers

and smelling them

does she

like 

the smell of my flowers?

mine mine mine

i, i

ought to hurt her

no 

i

ought to chase her off

those flowers

smell like me

i know

and she is smelling them

and 

she is smiling

she

is leaving

through the gate again

mine

i peed there once

i should've

bitten her

no no no

i should have

chased her

no

i should have barked

yes

but

she liked

my  flowers

mine, 

mine

i hope

she comes back soon

maybe

i will bark then

maybe



copyright Steven Woods 1997

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