In my town

Animals are left behind

By visitors who "forgot"

The giant dog from their back seat

Or the cat that sits on their shoulders

As if they were merely a toy

Or a trinket

Or a shirt

But these animals never forget

Sitting in their new "home"

A cell in the animal shelter

A box in an alleyway

A spot in the woods

Until someone chooses them

But it's hard to be chosen

When you're as big as a 5 year old

When you're 10 years old

When there's a younger animal

A prettier animal

In the cell right next to you

And so they give up

Get used to their "home"

Until a little girl looks at you

And you get excited

And BARK too loud

Or scratch her too soon

And scare her off

And now you have a bad history

Now you're a violent pet

Now you're not child friendly

So they sit

And wait

And accept this future

Until another girl comes in

Just to play with the animals

Because she can't have pets

Her dad is allergic

She'd get kicked out of the house

But she would be the perfect pet owner

Pet friend

Because instead of going to the younger ones

She sits in the middle

And waits

For a cat to crawl into her lap

For a dog to lick her face

For the animals to accept her

Until the shelter closes

And she has to leave

Promising to return tomorrow

And she does

With friends aplenty

She tells them whcih animals to get

She tells them that cat doesn't really scratch

That dog isn't truly loud

That animal is as kind as the rest

And watches as all of the animals

Are taken away

Until only one remains

And waits for her

Until she leaves home

And takes him with her

Takes him HOME